


Welcome, to Cafe Muse!

by YuriAllDahWay



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Cafe AU, Eventual slow burn?, F/F, Friendship, I'll add more tags as the story progresses, Light Angst, Romance, Second-year OT3, Slice of Life, eventual relationships?, lowkey rareshipping, they'll appear one way or another
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-07-29 19:26:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7696408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuriAllDahWay/pseuds/YuriAllDahWay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Honoka is known throughout her school as someone who is: one, unafraid to try new things and two, someone who really loves coffee. When she finally decides to stop by the emptiest cafe in town, Muse, she finds herself doing so much more than sipping a cup of joe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome, to Cafe Muse

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this in two days: don't ask me how, idk how i did it. 
> 
> thank to my friend who helped me with this idea. ily
> 
> and thank to you all who decide to give this story a chance
> 
> i hope you can follow this one until the end.

To those who knew Kousaka Honoka knew her as a lively, endearing girl that most loved, but somehow managed to teeter on the edge of obnoxious without ever stepping over the thin line.

To those who _really_ knew Honoka knew her as a teenage girl with a dangerous love for coffee, up to the point where it would be considered an addiction. But like every other addict, Honoka would always deny their accusations...while sipping on a mocha.

But what most people didn’t know about Honoka was her love of trying out new things, especially if it involved coffee. Honoka could never explain it, but there was a certain _thrill_ of trying out a new activity, of tasting a new food, of doing something _unfamiliar_. Even if it was the most mundane of things, she acted like she discovered the answer to life and the universe itself whenever she did something new. There was always a certain heart-pounding excitement and the rush of adrenaline that always coursed through her, and God, the _anticipation_ of what was to come was something she could never get enough of.

And that was exactly what she was feeling as she stood in front of the cafe in front of her.

It was a small cafe. It stood timidly in between the four-way interval and a bookstore, as if it didn’t want to attract any attention. It succeeded for the most part: there was no such thing as rush hour in this particular establishment, the seats were almost always empty, and its wearisome appearance was more than enough for passerbys to walk past without a care in the world.

But it was those certain aspects of the cafe that caught Honoka’s eye.

With the bustling town and sidewalk going on behind her back, the orange-haired girl looked up at the name of the cafe that was tattooed on in white paint.

μ’s

“U’s,” Honoka mumbled under her breath. She smiled to herself and reached for the doorknob--she liked the name, albeit unusual.

Like the outside, the cafe was rather simple and shied away from any sort of gaudy decor. Everything was hued in various shades of brown, with splashes of white on the walls. A bell rang twice as the door opened and closed, announcing Honoka’s arrival.

She took a deep breath.

The aroma of coffee filled her lungs.

God, she loved that feeling.

Honoka walked over to the counter and noticed that the register was unmanned. She raised an eyebrow in confusion and turned her head, this way and that, and realized that there were no customers sitting at the counters or tables or even in the comfortable-looking armchair that stood in the corner, basking in the sun’s rays.

She was the only one there.

Honoka frowned to herself, taking in the sad sight before her.

For the first time in a long while, she felt an incredible sense of loneliness wash over her.

“Whoa, first customer. And a first-timer too.”

Honoka turned and nearly doubled-over; a blonde woman, her hair up in a ponytail, had suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind the register.

“Gah!” Honoka exclaimed, “Where’d you come from?!”

The barista raised an eyebrow and looked off to the side before flitting her eyes back to Honoka. “I came from the back?” She said, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. The orange-haired girl looked over her and saw a door leading towards a room.

Honoka gave a shaky laugh. “Ah, that makes a lot of sense….”

“So what’s your order?” The blonde asked, her blue eyes looking like they were about to glaze over with boredom.

Honoka stared at the barista. “My order?”

The barista stared at Honoka. She said nothing.

“Ah, right! My order!” The orange-haired girl laughed again and scratched the back of her head. “I’ll take a vanilla macchiato and a slice of chocolate cake.”

“For here or to go?”

“For here.”

The blonde looked genuinely surprised. “Really?”

Honoka blinked. “Is...that a problem?”

“N-no,” the barista said, “it’s just that it’s been awhile since someone decided to stay for a drink here.”

“Well there’s always a first time for everything, right?” Honoka said, grinning widely.

And for the first time since she appeared, the blonde’s stoic mask managed to break into a little smile. “You’re right on that,” she muttered as she punched the orange-haired girl’s order into the machine. “Your total comes out to be--”

Honoka zoned the price out, and instead chose to gaze into the blonde’s eyes with a very serious expression. Despite the slight dullness in their luster, Honoka couldn’t deny that the woman in front of her was very pretty and her eyes were no exception. Her grin came back with full-force.

“You know, you’re really pretty,” she announced.

The barista raised an eyebrow and scoffed. “Flattery isn’t going to give you a discount, kid.”

Damn.

At least it was worth the shot.

-x-

“Hey, lady--”

“My name is Eli.”

“--how come your cafe is called U’s?” Honoka asked, swaying her legs underneath the counter as she impatiently waited for her order.

The sound of blending beans and the clatter of china abruptly stopped. Eli, who had her back turned towards Honoka, slowly turned around. It was hard to see it, but Honoka saw the intense effort it took the other to swallow her smile.

Honoka stopped all movement.

“W-what did you say?” Eli asked. At this point her mask was beginning to crack and the corner of her lip twitched; Honoka was confused with this unusual behavior.

“I asked why your cafe called U’s.”

Now the blonde lost it. She exploded into laughter, one that rang through the entire cafe and in Honoka’s ears. There were times when the barista would try and force down her mirth, but she would end up throwing it back up again, this time even louder than ever. It took a long while for Eli to calm down, and when she did, she wiped away the tears that managed to bead in the corner of her eyes.

Honoka blinked. “Was it something I said?”

“Y-you i-idiot,” Eli gasped out, turning back to her work. Honoka could see her shoulders shuddering. “It’s not called U’s.”

The orange-haired girl gave a frown to the blonde’s backside. “Yeah it is. There’s a letter U outside--”

“But it’s not _pronounced_ U’s. It’s called Muse, after the nine Greek goddesses of inspiration.”

“News?”

“Now you're just doing it on purpose.”

Honoka laughed, giving the blonde a thankful smile when she finally received her drink and dessert. The macchiato was a very pale brown and lived in an adorable white porcelain cup, which stood on an adorable white porcelain saucer. The smell of vanilla was beginning to mix with the air.

And although she loved her coffee, Honoka couldn't stop staring at the cake.

It was a simple thing: a plain chocolate cake with a drizzle of chocolate frosting cutting its surface into little triangles, the grandest object being the lone strawberry that stood near the edge. But there was _something_ about it, something that charmed Honoka.

“It’s cute,” she found herself saying. She looked up at Eli, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

“So...you're going to eat it now or…?”

“I don't know if I can.”

Eli handed Honoka a fork and the latter begrudgingly took it, her cheek puffing out. With much reluctance, the orange-haired girl sliced off a piece of the cake, only to be surprised to find melted chocolate oozing out from inside.

“Lava cake?” She asked as she stared at the pooling chocolate with wonder.

“Yep. Our chocolate cake is one of our specialties.”

And when Honoka ate her piece, she could understand why. The cake was deliciously moist, the chocolate providing a nice impactful flavor without being too overwhelming. There was an amazing balance between the frosting and the actual cake itself, and when she drank her macchiato, Honoka was surprised to find that the coffee complimented the cake very well.

It was no wonder she managed to clear her food and drink in record time.

“That good, huh?” Eli asked with a chuckle as she gathered Honoka’s mess into her hands.

“It was amazing!” The orange-haired girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with wonder and awe.

The sound of running tap almost drowned out Eli’s laugh.

“I’ll be sure to tell the chef that.” Even with her back turned, Honoka was still able to hear the smile in the blonde’s voice.

“It’s homemade?”

Eli nodded. “Everything on the menu is homemade by one girl, and her name’s Nico.”

Honoka’s eyes widened with surprise. “Only one chef?”

“I mean, we’re not exactly bustling with activity all the time, so it works.”

The orange-haired girl did a sweep of the cafe with her eyes. “How do you manage to keep this place running?”

The sound of running water halted. For some reason, Honoka felt the need to hold her breath too--there was something heavy in the air, and it hung over their heads like a pendulum.

“That's kind of a funny story,” Eri said as she turned around to face Honoka. Her blue eyes seemed much darker than before. She looked like she aged centuries, right before Honoka’s eyes.

“...How so?” She whispered.

“The owner is actually considering shutting this place down.”

A deadly unease filled the air. The only sounds that Honoka heard were the slow _drip, drip_ of the faucet and her heart plummeting to her gut like a rock.

“Shutting it down?”

Eli sighed and nodded, leaning back so that she was against the sink for support. Her eyes were completely fixated on the ground. “Take a look at this place, kid. You're the first customer we’ve had today. Barely anyone comes here, and we have almost no regulars. We can't compete with the competition in this area, despite how lucky we are to have such a great spot.” She finally looked up and turned her head to gaze out the window. Honoka followed her movement.

Then everything the blonde said made sense.

There, right across the street, was a restaurant. It was busy, up to the point where the line was out the door. Even through the tinted windows of the restaurant, Honoka could tell that every spot in the restaurant was filled. She looked at the name of the establishment.

A-RISE

She had heard of the restaurant before. It opened recently as far as Honoka knew, somewhere around a month or so ago. During its opening week, most of her school had been talking about it non-stop: rumors of fantastic food, great customer service, and charming waitresses almost compelled Honoka and her friends to check it out for themselves.

The only thing that stopped them was the line.

“We’ve been around much longer than they have,” Eli began, “but just look at the difference between them and us. It makes us look like _we’re_ the newbies, not them.” She gave another laugh, but this time it was cynical; it made goosebumps rise on Honoka’s arms.

“You sound like you've given up,” she said quietly.

“It’s hard _not_ to--"

Honoka slammed her open palms against the counter. The sound boomed and echoed through the cafe, but Eli didn't flinch at all. Instead, she slowly turned to look at the other, an eyebrow raised in a silent question.

“You can't give up! You just can't!” Honoka protested, shaking her head vigorously.

Eli replied with a head shake of her own, but hers was much more contained, relaxed. “Kid, we only got three employees running the place and we only need _one_ employee per shift to make sure everything is in working order. Doesn't that say a lot to you already?”

The orange-haired girl slammed the counter again. At this point her hands were stinging with pain, but she didn't care--all she wanted was this place to be _saved_.

“Your problem is publicity, right? Then just get more people to come here! Make yourself known!”

“And how do you suppose we’re gonna do that--”

“I’ll help you!” Honoka exclaimed as she smacked herself on the chest. “I’ll spread word about Muse all over my school and town!”

“Kid, I appreciate the help, but I’m afraid you can’t do that unless you’re an employee.”

“Then hire me!”

Eli stared at Honoka with the blankest expression on her face. She blinked only once.

“...What?”


	2. Another Member

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how i managed to update this quick, but here we are. i hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> thank to all my dudes who decided to follow this story. it means a lot.

Honoka stared at the sheet in front of her. Her eyebrows were knitted together with the string of concentration, and her lower lip jutted out as she stared at it with narrowed blue eyes.

“Honoka, I got you your—are you actually studying?”

The surprised voice behind her caused Honoka to arch her neck over the back of the bench she sat on. The upside figure of a wide-eyed Sonoda Umi holding a plastic bag in her hand greeted the orange-haired girl.

“Ah! You got the bread!” Honoka exclaimed as she straightened herself out and turned around. She reached out to grab it, but the blue-haired girl snatched it away from her grasp. Honoka gave her friend a pout. “What’s the big—“

“Can you explain that, please?” Umi asked, pointing at the crinkled piece of paper in Honoka’s hand.

“Oh this?” The orange-haired girl looked at her own hand and showed the paper to her friend, her eyes poking over the edge. “It’s a job application.”

Umi gave a sigh and shook her head, her face the epitome of disapproval and disappointment. “I knew you failed the test last week—wait, what?”

Honoka tilted her head to the side as she watched her friend’s face morph into a shocked expression once more. In the back of her head, the orange-haired girl noted that she never saw Umi this effusive in a long time. “What, what?”

“You’re planning on getting a job?” Umi asked; she was completely astounded with this development, and Honoka honestly had no idea why.

“Is...that a problem?”

The blue-haired girl frowned and looked off to the side, looking unsure. “Not...really.”

Honoka mimicked her friend’s expression. “If it’s about your guess being wrong, I also failed last week’s test too if that makes you feel better.”

Umi looked at Honoka with an indignant expression. “That’s not it at all!”

“Then what?”

“I’m just,” the blue-haired girl softened her face into an awkward smile, “a little surprised.”

Honoka furrowed eyebrows. “About me getting a job?” She couldn’t help the slightly offended tone in her voice—Umi always had a tendency to underestimate her, and despite knowing each other for years, there was always a little sting that she felt whenever Umi voiced her honest thoughts about anything Honoka did.

But Umi was a smart person, and when she heard the edge in her friend’s voice, she relaxed into a much more friendly expression as she made her way to sit next to her friend.

“Yes. I mean, it’s just...I never would have expected it, really.” She said with a shrug, finally allowing Honoka to dig through the plastic bag in search of her bread.

The orange-haired girl let out an excited gasp when she found the treasure trove underneath all the salads and various healthy foods Umi purchased for herself. Honoka pulled out the bread and ripped the packaging open.

“Ish it weawy dat mush ofh a shurprish?” Honoka asked as she sank her teeth into the bread. Red-bean paste filled her mouth, the overly-familiar taste of sugar soothing her insatiable sweet tooth to an extent. A sudden craving for coffee hit her hard, and she regretted waking up late...again.

Umi raised an eyebrow, a gesture that reminded Honoka of a certain blonde-haired woman in a certain cafe. “Can you repeat that in a language I can understand, please?”

Honoka took a moment to clear her mouth of food before speaking. “I said, ‘Is it really that much of a surprise?’”

“Kind of. I mean, you’re not in a club so I just assumed that you weren’t interested in any sort of...outside school activity.”

The orange-haired tilted her head, taking another bite of her bread. “If meanfh i fhesush. Clubsh dufn weawy getf my attefnetion.”

Umi glowered at her.

Honoka gave a toothy, red-bean-paste-colored grin before swallowing. “‘I mean I guess,’ I said, ‘Clubs don’t really get my attention.’”

The blue-haired girl took out her salad from the plastic bag and rested it on her lap, staring at it confusedly. “But I thought you like trying new things.”

“Yeah, I do. But if I keep doing the same thing over and over again then it gets old, and the enjoyment I felt the first time doesn’t feel so fulfilling, you know?”

“Won’t it be the same with a job, though?” Umi asked, turning her confused gaze up to Honoka.

“But it’s different!”

“Enlighten me, please.”

“Because you get to experience new things everyday! You don’t know who’ll pop in through the door—like, what if it’s someone you know or don’t know; or maybe it’s going to be someone famous or not. Hell, it could even be your own mom! There’s just... _something_ , some sense of _adventure,_ Umi-chan!” Honoka explained, her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. Her aura was oozing with exuberance, and an unbridled fervor caused Umi to scoot down farther away from her.

“But isn’t that the same thing as joining a club?” The blue-haired girl asked, narrowing her eyes dubiously.

Honoka made a noise that was caught between a scoff and a laugh. “Not really. I mean, it’s better than standing around shooting arrows all the time—“

“Hey!” Umi exclaimed, looking more than a little disgruntled, “Archery isn’t _just_ standing and shooting. There’s _discipline_ and—“

“Are you two arguing again?”

Honoka looked over her friend’s shoulder to see a familiar face. She grinned, especially when she saw the tuft of hair that reminded her of a bird’s wing.

“Kotori-chan!” Honoka exclaimed as she threw her arms up in excitement. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you had your internship today?” Umi asked.

“I was supposed to,” Kotori began as she took her place in between Honoka and Umi, “but Boss told me that I didn't need to go today since they had enough for the day. Plus she doesn't want me missing school—she always refrains from calling me in unless it’s _super_ important.”

“What was the situation?” Honoka asked before taking another bite of her bread. Beyond Kotori, she saw Umi give her a thankful smile.

“We had to finish several dresses for an important client, and one of the members of the design team had gone sick. Boss was freaking out over it, since we’ve been short lately, but the original member managed to make it on the last minute.” The gray-haired girl tittered, leaning her back against the bench so that she slouched just a little. “It’s been so...hectic.”

“I bet,” Umi said as she finally decided to rip off the plastic over her salad bowl, “It must be tough working for a fashion company.”

Kotori nodded and sighed, but a small smile grew on her face. Honoka scrutinized her carefully, noting the tired but passionate glaze in Kotori’s amber eyes.

For as long as Honoka remembered, both Umi and Kotori were always dedicated people to their craft: the blue-haired girl had an exceptional talent for archery that she discovered during their middle school days, while the other always knew that fashion was her calling the moment she saw her first designer dress.

Honoka, however, still hadn't found such passion...unless you counted her love for coffee.

The orange-haired girl looked at her hand, where she held her bread and the crumpled job application for Muse.

Kotori seemed to notice this, and tried her best to wrench the paper from Honoka’s grasp without tearing it. She succeeded...for the most part; a rip almost cut off a corner from the rest.

“Is this a job application?” The gray-haired girl asked, looking at it with curiosity.

Honoka gave a shaky laugh. “Yeah, I was planning on working at a cafe named Muse.”

“Muse?” Umi asked, shooting the orange-haired girl a look.

“Yeah. It’s a cafe that’s been around for a while apparently, but never busy.”

The blue-haired girl gave a frown. “Where’s it located?”

“Across from A-RISE.”

Kotori looked up from the application and Umi made a small noise in her throat, one that was a cross between a cough and a gasp.

“Well, it’s no wonder that it has no business,” Kotori said, “The place has been probably been overlooked ever since A-RISE opened.”

Honoka shrugged and sighed as she shoulders sank. Her blue eyes stared at her half-eaten bread gloomily; somewhere along their conversation, she lost her appetite. “I don’t really know the details behind it, but apparently they’re closing down.,” she said as she set the bread aside.

Umi, who had busied herself with her salad, stopped herself so that a piece of lettuce was dangling precariously off of her fork. “If they’re closing down, then why are you going to getting a job there? Wouldn’t it be a waste of time—“

“No it won’t!” Honoka exploded, standing up from the bench. Her sudden burst of energy startled her two friends: Kotori jumped in her seat, and Umi winced just enough to send the piece of ranch-covered lettuce on a one-way trip to the floor.

“What do you mean?” The gray-haired girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because I’m going to help save it!” The orange-haired girl declared as she puffed out her chest.

“But…” Umi exchanged glances with Kotori, “why?”

“Because...because…” Honoka frowned and scratched her head, “I don’t know, there’s just _something_ about it. It’s so charming, and the food is so _delicious_ and the drinks are _amazing,_ and it really is _such_ a great place and—“

“Honoka, breathe.”

She took a breath and exhaled slowly before continuing. “I don’t know Umi-chan, there’s just something about it. There’s just so much... _potential_ for it to be such a fun and exciting place! I just hate watching it fade without it having a chance to shine, you know? And there’s so many people that spend so much time just to keep it barely alive….” Honoka looked off to the side as an image of Eli popped into her head.

“Honoka-chan—“

“But!” The orange-haired girl looked at her two friends, her blue eyes burning with an intense fervor and exuberance. “That’s why I want to help! To show people that even the most simplest of things can be amazing and great if you just give it a chance!” Honoka reached out to grab the application from Kotori’s hands. “And that’s why I want to help this cafe. Because it’s simply amazing.” She finished on a much softer note.

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” Umi asked quietly.

A smile, one that can almost be described as sad, came across Honoka’s face.

“I really am.”

-x-

“I can’t believe she’s serious.”

Nozomi looked over Eli’s shoulder. A red-bean-paste stained, wrinkled, and ripped job application was in the blonde’s hands. It was, to say the least, a horrid mess to look at; even the handwriting was written in an indecipherable scrawl. But after much squinting and trial and error, Nozomi was able to make out a name.

“Kousaka Honoka?” She asked.

Eli screamed and nearly fell off her chair. She managed to catch herself before she touched the floor, then quickly whipped around to face Nozomi with a deep scowl. Her irritated blue eyes managed to shine for the first time in a while, the purple-haired woman noticed.

“W-when did you get here?” Eli demanded, her cheeks and ears turning bright red. Nozomi smiled endearingly at the sight—she always had a soft spot for Eli.

“When you started talking to yourself again.”

The blonde’s face turned impossibly redder. “ _Why_ are you here.”

“Isn’t it my shift now, my dear?” Nozomi smiled just a little larger and took the spot next to the blonde. With every movement, she could feel Eli’s eyes piercing her. Nozomi, however, was not perturbed at all and simply returned it with a steady gaze.

“Your shift is tomorrow.”

Nozomi shrugged and shook her head. “Minor details.”

Eli sighed and readjusted herself so that she was looking at the application once more. She said nothing, but Nozomi was able to see the plethora of emotions building up in Eli’s eyes.

“Aren’t you happy?” Nozomi asked, “It’s our first application in ages.”

“She said she wanted to help save the cafe,” Eli said, leaning back against the plastic chair she was sitting on. The pathetic thing creaked under her; Nozomi bit back her tongue and a witty remark about the blonde’s weight.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” The purple-haired girl asked as she mimicked Eli’s posture.

“It is, but….”

“You want to save this thing by yourself, don’t you?” Nozomi concluded.

Eli said nothing. She didn’t have to—Nozomi took the words right out of her mouth, and they both knew it. That was how their relationship worked most of the time: the blonde would stay stubbornly mute while the other would figure everything out just by a simple glance. It was one of the guilty pleasures Nozomi relished in her relationship with the blonde.

“You know that's impossible, right?” The purple-haired woman pointed out softly.

Eli looked at her with a tempestuous look that was a cross between anger and distress. Nozomi noticed that the blonde’s bags under her eyes had gotten darker. She sighed—Eli spent too much time worrying.

“But still—“

Nozomi sat up and placed a finger on the blonde’s lips. “I know you want to save this place just as much as Nico and me, and I know that _you_ know we can't do it alone.”

Eli said nothing but the angry storm in her eyes dissipated.

“Please, Elichi,” Nozomi begged as she gathered the blonde’s face into her cold hands. The purple-haired woman had the impression she was holding a ball of flame in her palms—Eli’s red cheeks completed the picture perfectly.

The hardened resolve in the blonde’s eyes was beginning to chip away.

Nozomi smiled and moved closer so that she was leaning her forehead against Eli’s. A light pressure pushed back on her too.

“You always make it hard to say no,” Eli admitted with a sigh. The purple-haired woman laughed and inched in closer, so that the tips of their noses brushed against one another.

“But I know you still love me,” Nozomi mumbled as she tilted her head to the side.

Eli replied by closing the distance between them.

Nozomi felt herself growing light-headed, and her heart began to sprint in her chest. She never understood why she still got like this, even after the countless nights and kisses they’ve shared together. But, here she was, closed-eyed and burning red., that fuzzy sensation she felt when she first met Eli rampaging in her gut.

God, she felt like a highschooler again.

The sound of the door slamming closed shocked the both of them. Quickly, they pulled apart, but Nozomi’s teeth accidentally grazed against Eli’s lip—painfully. The blonde let out a squeaky yelp and covered her mouth with her hand, glaring at Nozomi with teary eyes before whipping around to see who dared to interrupt them.

“You guys can’t keep it in your pants, can’t you?” The tiny newcomer said in a smug drawl. Her red eyes glimmered with mischief.

Even though her voice was muffled, Nozomi was still able to hear the clear venom in her lover’s voice.

“Shut up, Nico.”

-x-

Honoka wanted to barf.

She sat in front of Eli—who happened to be Muse’s manager as well, apparently—in one of the many tables in the cafe. Honoka looked around, her blue eyes drifting here and there, looking _anywhere_ that wasn’t in Eli’s direction. As she bounced her knee up and down, she noticed that Muse was in a state of unrest as well: the constant _drip, drip,_ of the faucet, the very faint playing of music coming from the back, the scritching of Eli’s pencil against the almost-destroyed application, the occasional unexplained creaking of wood. The uneasy peace of the cafe caused Honoka’s knee to move even faster.

Light coughing prompted her to stop abruptly.

“Thank you,” Eli mumbled as she continued to mark Honoka’s application dutifully.

The orange-haired girl began to tap her foot instead.

_God,_ she was so nervous—

“Honoka.”

“Y-yes!” She squeaked, sitting up instantly and halting almost all movement. The only thing that kept going was her rampaging heart ready to explode at any given moment—

“I’m going to go to the back to discuss this with the assistant manager,” Eli said as she rose from her chair. The sound of wood screeching against wood clawed at Honoka’s ears and put her even more on edge.

“Y-yeah, s-sure,” she said with a shaky smile, “G-go ahead.”

The blonde raised an eyebrow; it looked like she was about to say something, but in the end she decided against it and made her way to the back.

The door thudded closed.

And Honoka was all alone in the cafe.

Before she could spiral down into the pits of her anxiety and bile, Honoka’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and stared at the screen.

It was from Kotori.

_How’s the interview?_

Honoka quickly unlocked her phone and typed her reply, her thumbs flying across the screen.

_I’M SO NEROVIUS HEOLP ME S_

Umi’s name popped up on her screen, along with three dots.

_Wow, even when she's not eating I still can't understand her._

Even if it was at her own expense, the orange-haired girl managed to crack a smile and a choked laugh. She could feel herself starting to calm ever so slightly.

_Umi-chan, be nice to Honoka-chan!_ Kotori replied.

Umi replied with a funny looking emoticon.

_And Honoka-chan, don't worry about the interview. Even if you don't get the job, we’ll still be here to support you and help you make amuse successful!_

_Yeah, Honoka, what Kotori said. You know we have your back. So buck up and shoot for the gold!_

The orange-haired girl snorted at the blue-haired girl’s text.

_Was that an archery joke, Umi-chan?_ She asked.

_Shut up._

Honoka laughed as she imagined Umi’s voice in her mind. At this point, the butterflies in her stomach had all fled, and her nervous energy converted into a lax peace. She sighed through her nose, staring fondly at her screen.

_Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would do without you two._

Kotori’s reply was swift and brief.

_I love you, Honoka-chan._

Umi’s was just as quick.

_Same here, Honoka._

A sudden rush of emotion welled in her eyes, and the orange-haired girl cleared her throat as she typed.

_I love the both of you too._

“Kousaka Honoka?”

Honoka looked up. A woman with purple pigtails and a voluptuous chest was smiling at her with closed eyes.

“Y-yes?” The girl stuttered, feeling her nerves getting the best of her again. She took a breath to calm herself, remembering her friends’ words. “What is it?”

The woman’s smile grew even larger. “I’m Toujou Nozomi, the assistant manager. And I have big news for you.”

-x-

Eli looked up when she heard Nozomi enter the room. The other woman still had the same exact smile she left the break room with.

In the distance, two bells ringing signaled Honoka’s departure.

“So,” Eli began, “how’d she take it?”

“Surprisingly well.”

“Find that hard to believe, honestly.”

The blonde sighed and shook her head, watching as Nozomi walked over to take the seat next to her. “I don't understand why _you_ had to do it. What difference does it make if I say it? The news will still be the same.”

The purple-haired woman laughed heartily and rested her head on the blonde’s shoulder. Eli buried her nose into Nozomi’s hair; the comforting smell of lilies soothed her.

“At least she had an idea of what her other co-worker is going to be like,” Nozomi said as she took a deep breath. “She's interesting, isn't she?”

The sound of muffled, yet victorious screams and yelling coming from outside filled the quiet break room. There was a beat of silence, and the women broke into a fit of giggles.

“She really is, huh?” Eli mumbled.


	3. Decisions, Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poopin' out these chapters like there's no tomorrow. i wonder how long that's going to last, lmao
> 
> once again, thank to all the people who are supporting me and are friendly enough to leave a kudos and a comment. you make me v happy.

Nico was amazed on how dedicated the new kid was.

For the past hour or so the newbie—her name was something like Honkers-stood in front of the cashier with her back straight and eyes shining brightly. She radiated a blinding energy from every pore in her body, and Nico always felt the need to squint whenever she needed to talk to the kid.

This time was no exception. Nico was busy making dough for the day's fresh supply of apple pie, but unfortunately miscalculated the amount of flour she needed and put it away much too early.

"Dammit," the black-haired woman muttered under her breath as she realized her mistake.

"Is something the matter?" Honoka asked with the speed of a bullet. Nico frowned to herself; she never understood how she always managed to dig her own grave.

"Well, uh," Nico turned her head slightly and saw the beaming face of an orange-haired staring at her with expectant puppy-eyes. The older of the two _swore_ she could see a tail wagging behind the girl.

"Well?" Honoka pressed. Nico could feel the girl's energy rising with every passing second, and she had the impression that if this kid didn't do something quickly, she was going to burst right on the spot.

_God,_ this kid was such a _pain_.

"I need—"

"You need?"

Nico frowned and narrowed her eyes at the newbie with disapproval. Surprisingly, the orange-haired girl shrank back and her exuberance dimmed to a level that the other actually tolerated. Nico was pleased with how compliant the kid was.

"Flour," the black-haired woman said. She gestured with her chin over Honoka's shoulder, "I stuck it in the cupboards under the counter. Should be in the third pair down. Make sure to open the door on the _left."_

Honoka tilted her head to the side. "What happens if I open the one on the right?"

Nico turned back to the ball of dough in front of her. "You'll clean up the mess that falls out."

As the both of them went off to work, Nico's frown grew as her annoyance nourished it like a child: it grew slowly, but when the time came, puberty hit and a large scowl made itself at home on her face.

"Who the hell does Nozomi think she is?" Nico whispered furiously, "Taking the day _off._ As if that tit-monster has something better to do than stuff her hand down Eli's pants—"

"Nico-chan?"

"-and I don't understand why _I_ got assigned to training the newcomers. They _both_ know I hate working with newbies _especially_ when they—"

"Nico-chan…?"

"—and _for God's sake,_ if that tit-monster decides to show her face in this cafe after having the _audacity_ to flake on me, I'm going to—"

"Nico-chan!"

"WHAT!" Nico punched through the dough with ease and smashed her knuckles against the counter. She hissed as pain shot through her arm, and she drew back her hand. She stared sourly at the deep imprint of her fist in the dough as she rubbed her reddening knuckles.

"I got the flour," Honoka said sheepishly.

Nico sighed as she looked up. "Took you long enough—"

When she met Honoka's eyes, Nico forced herself to stop. The orange-haired girl had a smile to match her tone, and her blue eyes gleamed timidly over the large bulk of flour she had gathered in her arms. Nico didn't know why, but when she saw that expression, she felt a large wave of regret crash into her. It felt cold and made goosebumps rise on her arms, and suddenly she couldn't handle the weight of carrying their eye-contact anymore. Her red eyes drifted back to the indented lump of dough.

"...Thanks. You can put that next to me," Nico finished softly, patting the designated area with her uninjured hand. Honoka did as she was told without a word, but the sudden closeness made Nico feel even more awkward than ever, especially when Honoka didn't move after placing down the flour. A cold sweat was beginning to collect on the back of Nico's neck.

"Did you, uh," the black-haired woman cleared her throat, trying to find her words, "hear what I said?"

She was a little surprised when Honoka let out a shaky laugh. "You weren't exactly quiet."

Nico couldn't stop the breath of a chuckle escaping her. "It's a little habit of mine."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Neither of them did anything. They stared at the objects in front of them, Honoka with the bag of flour and Nico with her dough. The atmosphere was so palpable that the black-haired woman felt that she could grab a knife and slice off a piece, but she dared not to shatter the quiet, despite knowing that she should. The words were in her throat and she wanted nothing more than to cough them up, but her pride lodged them in place like phlegm.

"You know," Honoka began, "I wouldn't blame you if you hate me."

Nico looked up with shock. "Hate you? Why would I hate you?"

The orange-haired girl gave a single-shouldered shrug. "I mean, I'm a newbie and you said you hated newbies so—"

"No I didn't," Nico shook her head with a frown, "I said something different."

"But still," Honoka gave another shaky laugh, as if vocalizing her nerves would somehow make them go away, "I don't really blame you for—"

"Oh can it, kid," Nico said, "Everyone says things that they don't mean, and I'm no exception."

The orange-haired girl said nothing. Truth be told, it unnerved the black-haired woman.

"But," Nico sighed through her nose, "that doesn't excuse what I said or me yelling at you." She looked away and cleared her throat. She swallowed, her pride sliding down her throat, and the words she wanted to say from the beginning filled her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

When Nico looked back up, she saw Honoka grinning at her with the same energy as before. They said nothing, just a quiet exchange of smiles, before going back to their respective posts. Another silence settled in between the both of them. But unlike the other one, this was welcoming and warm, and it enticed the both of them to gather the courage to break it.

Nico surprised herself when she decided to do it.

"Want to help me?" She asked.

The imaginary tail behind Honoka began wagging uncontrollably.

"Sure!"

And as they rolled the dough out together, Nico couldn't help but reluctantly admit to herself that Nozomi was right...for once.

This kid really was interesting.

-x-

The next day at school, Honoka was beaming much more than usual. Every girl that walked past her felt the need to look away, not because they felt ashamed, but because being near Honoka was like being near the sun-one quick glance and you can kiss your eyesight goodbye.

But that didn't stop Honoka from trying what she wanted to do: passing out fliers.

"Come one, come all! Check out Cafe Muse, right across from A-RISE! It'll be a blast!" The orange-haired girl quickly stepped in front of a redhead, successfully cutting the latter off.

The stranger didn't seem pleased by this, but Honoka decided to ignore it.

"Come on over!" Honoka said as she offered a flier to the redhead.

"Uh," the girl's violet eyes flicked to the side then back at the flier. "No."

Honoka felt herself deflate when the girl walked past her.

"Honoka?"

The orange-haired girl turned around to see who it was. Her smile came back in full-force when she saw the familiar duo of gray and blue.

"Umi-chan! Kotori-chan!" Honoka said, bounding over to her friends, "There you are!"

Umi raised a hand to stop the orange-haired girl in her tracks before she could fall and cause all three of them to the floor.

"What are you doing?" The blue-haired girl asked, taking a flier out of Honoka's hand. Kotori looked over the girl's shoulder and both of them let out a little noise when they saw the design.

It wasn't bad, nor was it good. It was just...okay. One could see how much heart Honoka put into creating them, from the tiny little coffee cups and pictures of various cakes. But what really caught their eye were the very primitive drawings of four people on the bottom of the paper. One was obviously Honoka, with her orange hair, but the other three were unknown to Umi and Kotori. Next to Honoka was a blonde with a ponytail, a purple-haired woman with pigtails, and a much shorter woman with black hair in pigtails as well. It was clear that the _intention_ was to be cute but it certainly didn't _look_ cute.

"This is a very... _interesting_ poster, Honoka-chan," Kotori said with an uncomfortable smile. Honoka was, once again, oblivious to it and nodded vigorously.

"Right?! I made it myself!" The pride in Honoka's voice made the other two feel guilty about not liking it.

"So, has anyone showed up since you started...publicizing the cafe?" Umi asked, not wanting to linger on the subject of the horrible fliers anymore.

The orange-haired girl hummed in thought and looked up at the sky. "Not really. Well, no one from our school anyways."

"Have you guys had _anyone_ come in since you've started?"

"A couple. But you know, it's only been one day, so," Honoka laughed and excitedly shoved a flier into a passing girl's hand. The girl jumped in surprise and tried to protest, but Honoka ignored her and the girl eventually walked away with a scared look on her face.

"How was your first day, anyways?" Kotori asked, passing the flier in her hands to another girl with a large smile. Unlike the girl Honoka gave one to, this one actually looked smitten with Kotori and accepted it enthusiastically.

"It was pretty good," Honoka said as she remembered her time with Nico, "I got yelled at by the 'Newbie Trainer'—that's what the others call her—but in the end, we got along just fine." Honoka grinned and did an 'okay' sign.

The two others girls gave each other swift glances. "Well," Umi said after a while, "as long as you're having fun," she smiled at Honoka, "then that's all that matters."

Kotori nodded. "Yep!"

The orange-haired girl tackled the both of them into a tight hug and almost knocked them over; the only thing that stopped them was a concrete wall that Honoka slammed her forehead into.

"But you know what would be even more fun?" Honoka asked as she separated from her friends to rub her sore head. Even with an injury, she refused to let dim her spirits.

There was a slight hesitation before Kotori and Umi both asked, "What?" in unison.

"If you came over to Muse, of course! Then maybe you can get a job there too.!" Honoka raised her hands in the air and laughed, and the other two followed suit, as if what Honoka said was the funniest joke they heard in their lifetime.

But underneath all the light-hearted gayety, all three knew Honoka was dead serious.

-x-

"Kayochin!"

Hanayo looked up from the paper in her hands and readjusted her glasses. A girl with short orange-hair jumped onto her desk with the grace of a cat. Truth be told, Hanayo was impressed-being in track did wonders for coordination.

"Rin-chan," Hanayo greeted her with a smile.

"Whatcha lookin' at? Are you trying to study right meow because you forgot to last night?" Rin gave a toothy grin and laughed.

The other girl gave a laugh, one that was quiet and light enough to sing through the air. "No, I just got a flier from that one senior."

"The one with orange hair?"

Hanayo nodded and stared at the flier in her hands. It was kind of cute, actually. She was fond of the tiny cakes and mugs decorating the borders, and something about the strange-looking people on the bottom made it very endearing.

In the weirdest of ways, the ad compelled Hanayo to try the place out.

"Hey, Kayochin," Rin poked her friend's forehead multiple times, as if she was a kitten playing with a new ball of yarn, "Do you want to try it later nyafter school?"

The bespectacled girl looked up with flush cheeks; she was always a reticent person, even if she was with her best friend. But luckily for her, Rin always managed to figure out what she was thinking with a simple look. Something about it made Hanayo feel like they were the perfect balance for one another, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"But it's a cafe, Rin-chan," Hanayo pointed out, "You don't like coffee or tea."

"Nyaha!" Rin laughed, "Only if it's hot. I don't like hot coffee or tea because they taste nyasty, but if they got cold drinks then that's nyalright with me. Besides," the orange-haired girl's grin melted into a smaller one, "I nyow that you've always wanted to try that place for a while, haven't you?"

Hanayo gave a sigh and rested her head on Rin's thighs. A gentle hand rested on her head and began to stroke her hair. In the back of her head, the brunette felt like a cat being pampered by her owner. "I've always wanted to go there, but…."

"Your family?" Rin asked. Her body rumbled in a soothing matter, as if she was purring; Hanayo found it relaxing and closed her eyes. With the continual petting and comforting warmth of her friend, she was beginning to feel fatigue settle in her.

Without any energy left to speak, the brunette decided to go for a quiet hum as confirmation to Rin's question.

An exasperated sigh left the orange-haired girl's body.

"You nyow," Rin began, "I nyever really understood why they still keep you caged up, Kayochin. You're already a junyoir. They should just let you be who you want to be."

Hanayo forced her eyes to open, but she only had enough energy to open them halfway. It took her a moment to summon the strength to speak. "I know," she said quietly. But even as she said that, an unease was beginning the fester in her chest.

"But nyo matter what, I'll always be here for you, Kayochin," the orange-haired girl assured.

Between the soothing attention she was receiving and the comforting words she received from her friend, Hanayo suddenly felt at peace.

"I know," Hanayo repeated as she closed her eyes with the tiniest smile.

-x-

"So?"

Umi looked at Kotori, who was sitting beside her, then looked back up. A pair of gleaming blue eyes was staring at her with childlike expectancy.

"It's really good," Umi said, sounding very surprised. She had thought that Honoka was blowing thing out of proportion again, but everything the orange-haired girl said about the food was all true. The matcha tea she ordered was deliciously balanced; it wasn't too strong, nor was it too weak. And, oh _God_ , the macaroons she ordered were _amazing_. They were fluffy and almost melted in her mouth, and the vanilla filling inside was _perfect_. Between the sweetness of the macaroons and the creaminess of the matcha, Umi found herself impressed with the cafe and its quality of food.

She wondered _why_ this place didn't get any recognition at all.

"Yeah, that's great!" Honoka said as she clapped her hands together with enthusiasm. "I'll be sure to tell the chef that!"

Behind Honoka, the blonde woman-Eli, was her name?-made a little noise that sounded like a restrained laugh, as if Honoka said something only the two of them understood.

"How about you, Kotori-chan?" The orange-haired girl turned to said girl, "How did you like your tiramisu?"

"It was delicious," Kotori said with a smile, "And the macchiato was great too."

Honoka's smile grew impossibly larger. "It is, isn't it? The macchiato, I mean. It was the same drink I got here. But I got the chocolate cake instead of—"

A hand appeared and clapped itself on Honoka's shoulder, prompting her to quiet down.

"Why don't you go down to the basement and fetch me some more coffee beans? We ran out for some reason." Eli said with a crooked smile. On any other person it would have looked strange, but Umi thought that kind of expression fitted the blonde barista perfectly. She found it rather charming.

"Aye, aye, Eli-chan!" Honoka declared. Her expression turned serious and she saluted the blonde, before laughing at her own ridiculousness and trotted towards the back.

And then there were three.

"You two are Umi and Kotori, yeah?" Eli asked as she gathered the dirty plates and cups in front of them.

"Yes," the blue-haired girl confirmed. She watched as the blonde walked over to the sink, the china balanced on her arms with expertise.

Eli hummed before turning on the tap. The sound of rushing water filled the cafe. "I'm surprised you two can deal with someone like her," she said with a laugh.

Kotori gave a giggle. "I am too, to be honest."

Umi found herself smiling a timid smile. "She's always a little too much sometimes."

Eli made the same restrained laugh she made earlier. "I figured that one out already."

"But she's a really hard worker, isn't she?" Kotori asked. Even though she couldn't see, the blue-haired girl was able to catch the smile in her friend's tone. Hearing it made a warm feel beginning to ignite in her chest.

"She is," Eli agreed as she turned off the tap, "I'm surprised she's so dedicated. I thought she was kidding about saving the whole cafe thing."

Kotori made a little noise, something that was related to some kind of whimper. Umi felt the feeling in her chest get snubbed out.

"Honoka would never joke about saving something like this," Umi muttered.

The blonde turned around so that she was leaning against the sink counter while wiping off her hands with a hand towel.

"Why's that?" Eli asked.

The two girls exchanged quick glances at one another. "Well, you see," Kotori began, "when Honoka-chan was little, her dad—"

"I got the flour!"

With exceptional timing, Honoka burst through the door with a hefty bag of flour in her arms. There was also an unexplainable red smear streaking her cheek, but Umi decided not to question it yet when she saw Honoka's grin splitting her face.

However, Eli stared at the flour with disapproval. "Honoka?" She began.

The orange-haired girl turned to the blonde, her grin never wavering. "What is it, Eli-chan?"

"I asked for coffee beans, not flour."

The sound of Honoka screeching "EEEEEH?" almost overwhelmed the other three's laughter.

-x-

Kotori let out a sigh, her breath coming out as a brief white cloud before disappearing into nothingness. She looked up with her amber eyes, noting on how quickly the sky was beginning to darken. The usual blue canvas was now painted with various shades of purple, which eventually turned into a gradient of orange. The palette was strange, yet enticing-she made a little note in her head to keep the idea in her head until the next morning, when she was able to pitch the idea during her internship.

Speaking of her internship….

Kotori let out another sigh, this time being much more audible about it. She turned her eyes to the ground, watching the cracks on the pavement slip beneath her feet.

"Is something the matter, Kotori?"

The gray-haired turned to Umi, who was her only company for the night walk home. Honoka had to stay back in order to help Eli close up, and Umi was kind enough to go out of her way to accompany Kotori despite living in the opposite direction.

"Not really," Kotori said, looking ahead of her. A cone of light flickered to life as the street lamps were turned on-it was much later than she expected.

"Is it about Honoka?"

There was a beat of hesitance before Kotori stopped. Umi didn't realize it until several steps later, and she turned around with a worried look on her face.

"Kotori," she began, "what's wrong?"

The gray-haired girl began to wring the handles on her bookbag. The fabric roughly kissed her palms, and she decided to stop before she could chafe her skin.

"I...was thinking about quitting my internship so that I can join Honoka-chan at Muse," Kotori said as she stared at the ground. She couldn't see it, but she knew that Umi was wearing a disbelieving look on her face.

"W-what?" Umi stammered, "Kotori, you can't! Don't you want to get into fashion school?"

"I do but I want to help Honoka-chan with the cafe too. I know I can't handle two jobs with school in the way, so I have to give up on one of them."

Umi stepped in front of Kotori and tilted the latter's head up by her chin. Kotori stared straight into her friend's worried brown eyes.

"So you're going to give up on your dream?" Umi asked quietly.

Surprisingly, Kotori didn't hesitate at all when she answered. "If it can help Honoka-chan's dream come true, then I will."

The blue-haired girl replied with a quiet sigh out of her nose. "Why, though?"

"Because I don't want to see Honoka-chan get hurt again. I want to see her succeed!" Kotori declared, her voice getting shakier with every word. "You saw how she was when she couldn't save her father's shop, Umi-chan! She was devastated! I never want to see her like that again…." She sniffed and didn't realize she was crying until a warm tear streaked across her cheek.

Umi's cold finger wiped it away.

"You know she can't save Muse by herself," Kotori added, "And she _needs_ us, Umi-chan."

"...I know she does," Umi whispered, "And it seems you've already made your decision."

Kotori gave a quiet laugh, one that was a bit on the hoarse side. "Sometimes you sound like a mother, Umi-chan."

"Someone has to keep the both of you in line," Umi said with a crooked smile.

The gray-haired girl gave a fond smile and leaned her forehead against Umi's. She could feel Umi push back ever so slightly.

"So will you join me?" Kotori asked, her voice just under a whisper.

A breeze blew past, and their hair fluttered in the wind. Underneath the vague scent of exhaust, Kotori caught the very familiar scent of Umi, one that reminded the former of a sea breeze.

"I'll think about it," Umi finally said.


	4. Two New Challengers--I Mean, Customers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should have waited to upload this later on since it's midnight rn but you know what, yolo
> 
> and thanks to all the people who enjoyed this so far, i honestly can't stress that. i'm a sentimental mess when it gets late out, leave me alone.
> 
> enjoy.

The clustered, yet grating sound of piano keys being smashed echoed through the small room, but Maki didn't care; it was the closest thing to actual music she heard all day.

Nishikino Maki, was for the most part, cool and collected...when in public. In Otonokizaka High, Maki was renowned for her music skills, especially when it came to piano. A genius, they called her—and they had every right to do so. She had been playing ever since she was young, and by the mere age of ten, had won various awards from all sorts of competitions ranging from regionals to nationals. She mastered so many difficult pieces with relative ease, and performed them spectacularly on and off the stage.

So one can imagine how frustrating it was for her to not master a simple piece.

It was _Blue Rondo a la Turk_ by the legendary Dave Brubeck. It wasn't particularly hard: the rhythm was repetitive, and although the natural tempo was rather fast, Maki was able to get the pitches. But something felt _wrong_ with the piece, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got.

And frustration plus a piano doesn't equal good playing.

Maki glared at her sheet music with a burning passion. Her violet eyes skimmed through the various annotations that she scribbled on the side, numbers counting the beats the notes fell on.

She didn't get it.

What was she _missing?_

Maki sighed through her nose and stood, snatching her sheet music off the piano. There was no use frustrating over it now; band practice was going to start soon, and it was on the floor above her.

She stuffed the score into her bookbag, not caring if any of the pages got wrinkled or torn and stood up.

A paper fluttering to the ground caught her eye.

Maki squinted at it, unable to make out anything in the garish colors. She stared, confusion fogging up her mind until she finally figured it out, a ray of recognition dispersing the mist.

It was the flier that one orange-haired girl finally managed to give her after so many attempts.

The redhead bent over to pick it up from the ground, and scrutinized it with a heavy eye. In her mind, she criticized every detail harshly and honestly: the handwriting was horrid, the drawings were a mess, and if those _things_ on the bottom were supposed to be people, then the artist clearly failed.

It was garbage, Maki instantly thought, but instead of crumpling it up and throwing it in the trash, she gently folded it and slipped it in her blazer's pocket before striding out of the piano room.

As she closed the door behind her, her cheeks were blazing red.

Just the mere _thought_ of her considering to check out the cafe was enough to make her embarrassed.

-X-

"Rin-chan!"

The orange-haired girl looked up from her book that she was being forced to "study" from. Otonokizaka's school policy requires students, especially athletes, to follow a certain policy when it came to grades. Firstly, one must not fall below fifty percent in any class—if that were to occur, there would be a period where said student would have an amount of time to raise their grade. Participation in other events are allowed, but not recommended. Secondly, one must not fail an exam for any class—if that happens, then said student must be prepared to take a makeup exam. Thirdly, if one does manage to do a combination of the two listed above but with _multiple_ classes, then said student is not allowed to participate in any extracurricular activities until the next semester.

And unfortunately for Hoshizora Rin, she managed to do all three and was now put in a "rehabilitation" period from track.

It sucked.

"Kayochin!" Rin exclaimed with a grin, "You're finally here!"

Hanayo, whose cheeks were flushed red, gave a heavy sigh and flashed her friend a tired smile. It looked like she had just ran with all her energy, especially with the way she flopped down into the chair across from Rin.

"I...I had to t-talk with...m-my parents," Hanayo gasped. She weakly readjusted her glasses and gave a tired laugh.

Rin gave a crooked smile and propped her elbow onto the table, her chin in her hand. "Did you just run home and run back?" She asked, her smile growing into a Cheshire-grin.

The brunette sighed audibly. "Maybe."

"Nyahaha!" Rin laughed, but quickly quieted down when the librarian in the front of the room gave a sharp "Sh!" The orange-haired girl gave the elderly woman a sheepish smile and a thumbs-up. The woman didn't return the gesture and glowered at her.

"You didn't have to run. I would have waited for you, you nyow."

"I would feel bad if I kept you waiting. Plus I know you're having a hard time with your studies."

Rin chuckled quietly and showed off the cover of the book she was reading earlier with pride. "It's okay, I got a head start!"

"Rin-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"The book's upside down."

A nervous sweat began to collect on the back of Rin's neck. She let out a titter, but it fell short and Hanayo had to finish it for her.

"Come on," the brunette said as she took the book from her friend's hands, "let's get started."

An insufferable amount of time went by, and Rin was getting antsier by the minute. Underneath the table, she bounced her knee up and down. The pencil in between her fingers tapped restlessly against the table top. The sound of the _taptaptap_ of the eraser was the only sound filling the library, but it quickly stopped when the librarian shot Rin another look.

Rin stopped herself...for five seconds.

The tapping began slowly, then it began to pick up speed once again.

An angry clearing of the throat stopped Rin for good.

Having enough and feeling quite frustrated for being on the same problem since forever ago, Rin dropped her pencil and watched it bounce before settling down.

"Kayochin," she drawled, slumping in her seat so that she was able to rest her chin on the table.

Hanayo, who was also busy doing her own work, stopped and looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

"How much time has it been?"

"Probably only ten minutes."

Rin was about to give a long sigh, but quickly turned it into a quick gasp as she perked up. She clapped her hands together as her Cheshire-grin came back again.

"Let's take a break right meow!" She announced.

"A break?" Hanayo looked dubious. "Right now?"

The orange-haired girl nodded with all seriousness. "Yes, a break!"

Her friend's pale purple eyes took a quick glance at the half-finished worksheet. "But you've been on the same question for—"

"Exactly," Rin said, "I can't concentrate if I don't take a break. Specifically, a food break. You nyow that you can't work well if you don't have proper nyourishment."

Hanayo stared at her with muddled eyes; it was the expression Hanayo always got whenever she was pondering deeply about something. After a while, the brunette's shoulders sank in resignation as she sighed.

"I guess you have a point," she muttered.

"Nyalright!" Rin exclaimed as she fist-pumped. "I nyow the perfect place to go to!"

Hanayo tilted her head. "You do?" She asked.

Rin just grinned. "That's right!

-X-

Umi's hand slipped...again.

Which caused her arrow to miss the bullseye...again.

Which served to make her even more frustrated...again.

Umi took a deep breath to soothe her nerves. There was no use in trying again if she was going to keep belittling herself for every little mistake she made. She needed to clear and zen her mind, and the only way to do that was to address the problem plaguing her and her concentration.

Which was something that she had been trying to avoid for the entire day.

She wiped the sweat on her brow with the back of her hand. It was an unusually warm day, which compelled Umi to enter the team room. That, unfortunately, was a mistake. The team room was not only uncomfortably warm, but it was also _humid_ with the other girls' sweat. Umi considered going outside, where she would have at least have a breeze to cool her down, but she decided to suck it up and strode over to her locker. She noticed the handle of her bookbag hanging haphazardly from inside her locker.

Umi frowned at the sight.

In her right mind, she would never let this happen. She sighed; last night's discussion was really beginning to affect her more than she expected.

The blue-haired girl opened her locker, and fluttering out were two pieces of paper, dancing to the ground. Umi managed to catch one and could only watch as its partner touched the wet tiles of the floor.

Looking at her hand, Umi saw the job application form for Muse.

"She needs us," Umi mumbled to herself, repeating Kotori's words.

And she knew that. She knew that very well. She knew that something this big would require a large number of people's help.

Umi just didn't know if she could handle such a large group.

She sighed and bent over to reach for the ad. She stopped when she saw that the bottom half was completely soaked now, and the drawing of Honoka and co. was beginning to melt away.

"She needs us," Umi repeated. This time, it was louder than before. "She needs us, she needs us, she needs us," she continued to chant like a mantra. And like any incantation, Umi felt her spirits rising in her body, despite the uncomfortable atmosphere trying to suffocate her.

When she finally stopped, she stared at the soaked flier fondly.

"She needs _me,_ " Umi finished.

And with a fire burning in her chest, she knew exactly what she needed to do.

-X-

Honoka was starting to get unbearably bored. She had been standing at the cash register for the longest time, since she had decided to rush over to the cafe from school and arrived practically an hour before her actual shift. Her practicality—she liked to call it her Inner Umi—told her to go back home and catch the bus ride back, but her enthusiasm—something Umi affectionately called Honoka's Inner Dog—told her otherwise.

And, being the person she was, Honoka decided to stick with her gut and was now paying the price for it.

The orange-haired girl sighed loudly. The exuberance that drove her here had been slowly decaying, and now she was left with only half the amount she initially had. In the past three hours, thirty-six minutes, and...fifteen seconds, the activity she desperately waited to occur didn't happen...yet.

"Honoka."

A breath called out her name, the cold air chilling her ear and the rest of her body. Honoka screamed and nearly climbed over the counter, but a frighteningly tight grip held her down.

"D-don't eat me I don't taste good!" She whimpered, cowering with her arms over her head.

An airy, wistful giggle danced in the air.

"My, I didn't know you frightened easily."

The girl looked behind her with teary eyes.

The voluptuous figure of Toujou Nozomi was smiling that closed-eyed smile of hers.

"Geez, Nozomi-chan!" Honoka huffed. Her cheek puffed out as she crossed her arms. "You almost put me into cardiac arrest!"

The purple-haired woman tilted her head, but her smile stayed the same. "Sorry, Honoka. I'll give you a tarot reading to make it up to you."

The orange-haired girl turned around and leaned against the register. "I didn't know people can read taro."

Nozomi opened her eyes, her smile disappearing, and stared at Honoka blankly. The latter felt like she said something completely wrong until the woman broke out into a fit of giggles.

"No, no, not taro as in the food. Tarot as in tarot cards," Nozomi pulled a deck of cards from her back pocket, and Honoka stared at the colorful backs in wonder. The designs the card had were simply intricate: the background was a dark purple while the lines were a shiny silver, but everything was interwoven in such a way that Honoka swore she could make out the faintest of images underneath the mess. There was a certain kind of mystery to the woman standing before her, as if Nozomi knew the answers to life and the universe, and she had documented all of them in the deck she was now shuffling.

"You can read them?" Honoka asked with child-like wonder.

"That, I can," Nozomi said as she finished shuffling. Once she was done, she spread them out amongst her fingers like a fan. "Pick three, but don't flip them over yet."

The ambiguous twinkle in the woman's emerald eyes compelled Honoka to do so.

Nozomi said nothing but smiled, and flipped the first card in Honoka's hand.

A man with blonde hair stood atop a hill, a stick slung over his shoulder with a bag tied to the end of said stick. A creature, perhaps a lamb, was beside him braying. Scrawled under the image were the words "THE FOOL."

"Interesting," mumbled Nozomi.

Honoka blinked. "I don't get it. Are you calling me stupid?"

Nozomi did her little laugh again. "No, no. Tarot cards have more to them than they seem, Honoka. Although it sounds bad, it's actually a very positive card. It speaks of a person with childish enthusiasm, always willing to do new things and find their way of life with an open-mind. Their obliviousness to their surroundings is both a gift and a curse." She stared at the girl for a long while, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly as she studied Honoka. For some reason, the orange-haired girl felt relatively at peace when looking into Nozomi's eyes; perhaps it had something to do with that mystical smile of hers.

After a while, Nozomi turned the card in the middle. It was a robed man, clad in white and red who brandished a two-sided candle like a sword. Before him were all sorts of trinkets that rested atop a table. Among them, Honoka was able to recognize a goblet, a sword, some kind of stick, and a circle with a strange-looking star in the middle. This man was called "THE MAGICIAN" according to the cluster of letters underneath.

"That doesn't mean I have magic, does it?" Honoka asked disappointingly.

"No, but it does mean good fortune," Nozomi said with a smile, as if that was something better than magical powers (spoiler: Honoka didn't think it was). "This card tells us we have the power to make life-changing differences in this world, but only if we have the audacity to do so. And according to your previous card, you do."

Honoka couldn't help a small rush of pride running through her, especially with the way Nozomi looked at her.

"Now, for the final one," the woman began as she reached out.

The sound of the bell ringing twice startled the both of them, and Honoka'a grip on the cards faltered. Fortunately for Nozomi, she managed to catch her precious tarot cards before they touched the ground.

Honoka's eyes widened when she saw two unfamiliar faces looking around the cafe.

"Newcomers!" She beamed, "Welcome!"

The two girls, who seemed to be freshmen judging by the looks of them, turned to Honoka. One of the girls had short orange-colored hair and bounded over to the register, while the other (which Honoka recognized as one of the girls she gave a flier to the other day) timidly followed behind.

"Is this U's?" The short-haired girl asked with a large grin.

Honoka and Nozomi stifled a laugh. The stranger's smile wavered a bit, until her friend tugged at her sleeve.

"Rin-chan, it's not U's, it's _Muse._ We've been over this."

The girl named Rin made a shocked noise and turned to her friend. "Eh? Seriously?"

Now that was enough for the two baristas to lose their laughter. The two customers quickly followed suit, with Rin scratching her head and the bespectacled girl covering her mouth. Eventually, they calmed down and got back to business.

"Welcome to Muse!" Honoka greeted with a blinding grin, "How may I help you?"

Rin hummed and held her chin in her fingers. She narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized the menu above Honoka's head, her lips pursing just a bit as she pondered about her order.

"I'll settle for a vanilla cake and an ice coffee!" The short-haired girl finally decided, nodding her head with confirmation.

"Great," Honoka said as she punched the order into the register. When she was down, she looked at the girl standing beside Rin. "And you?"

"Er, a latte. And a slice of a vanilla cake as well."

The barista nodded and punched that order in as well. "Will that be all?"

The two girls gave a nod.

"All together, that's going to be—"

Both girls gasped when they saw the price being displayed on the register. Honoka looked up with curiosity, and saw them blanching at the sight.

"Rin-chan, we don't have enough!" The brunette whispered. Unfortunately, her "whisper" was loud enough for Nozomi to hear as well, and the woman stifled another laugh.

Rin gave a shaky, yet reassuring chuckle to her friend. "Nyo worries, Kayochin! I'll be back before you nyow it!"

And with that, Rin sprinted off with lightning speed, but not before she ran into the glass door with a loud "MEOWCH!"

-X-

Hanayo was in heaven.

She basked in pure bliss with every bite she took of her cake. It was amazing: the inside hid a treasure trove of strawberries, which complimented the frosting of the cake very well with their touch of sourness, and the actual cake was soft and moist, practically _melting_ in her mouth. Whoever the chef was, Hanayo wanted to give her best regards—that person was her hero.

Rin's laugh broke Hanayo out of her trance.

"Nyaha! Looks like Kayochin is having the time of her life right meow!"

The brunette looked at her friend, whose face was covered with frosting, and laughed. "It's what I've always dreamed of."

The orange-haired barista, Honoka, looked over her shoulder. She was busy cleaning used cutlery by herself; the one named Nozomi had disappeared into the back and hadn't return since.

"You've heard of this place before?" Honoka asked.

Hanayo took her time to finish the last of her cake before speaking. "I heard about it from my mother. She said there was a cafe that used to be big back in the day, since she's been living in the area all her life, but now it's become a 'no-name.' She would always tell me how good the food was, and I got interested in it, so…" She trailed off when she noticed that Honoka was looking at her with a _very_ serious expression. It scared the brunette a little; she didn't know that the cheerful barista was capable of making a face like that.

"Muse used to be big?"

Hanayo nodded.

The barista furrowed her eyebrows together, and held her chin in between soap-covered fingers. "Then what happened?" She muttered. It seemed like she was merely voicing her thoughts aloud, and didn't expect an answer.

"I don't know," she said quietly, feeling perturbed by the sudden change of atmosphere in the cafe. Although she went for a sip of her latte, the warmness of the coffee did nothing to soothe the chill crawling up her spine.

"Well no matter!" Honoka said, her usual cheer springing back to life. "We'll just do our best to build this place back up to its former glory!"

"Yeah!" Rin's sudden cry startled Hanayo; she had been so quiet the brunette forgot she was sitting next to her.

"And hey, since the two of you enjoyed the food," Honoka clapped her hands together, causing some of the soap on her hands to drift to the floor, "how about you help us?"

"Help?" Rin asked, her cheeks puffing up just a little as she tried to ignore the bubbly goatee on Honoka's chin.

The barista nodded. "Yeah, help! You guys can help with advertisement at school, and if you really wanted to, you can get a job here! It'll be a blast, and you'll get to meet everyone, including the chef!"

"The chef?" Hanayo asked as her eyes widened at the news. A chance to meet the god(dess) who created such amazing delicacies? How could she even _think_ of passing it up?

"Yep!" Honoka declared with a grin.

Hanayo quickly turned to Rin, who was already looking at her with excitement. The energy twinkling in her friend's golden eyes was all the confirmation Hanayo needed.

"You got a deal!" The two girls said in unison.

-X-

"I'm home!" Nozomi called out as she shut the apartment door behind her. She locked it while kicking off her shoes at the same time, and sighed with relief; she should really buy new shoes that didn't give her sore feet.

"Welcome back!" A distant voice called out. Nozomi followed it to the source, and saw Eli's back being hunched over a book.

Nozomi smiled fondly at the sight; watching Eli cram for her college exams was endearing, for some reason.

"Working as hard as ever, I see," she said, walking over to her lover to place a soft kiss on the blonde's cheek. On the last minute, however, Eli turned her head and met the woman's lips for a short while before pulling back.

"How was work?" She asked, returning to her assignments.

"Good. We got a little more customers today—most were the regulars but two new faces came."

"Oh?"

Nozomi chuckled as she pulled a chair over to sit next to Eli. "Yep. Honoka's already trying her best to recruit the newbies. Apparently they're juniors, but they look like freshmen. One of them knew about Muse's glory days too."

Eli hummed, sounding half-interested, as she set down her pen and leaned back into her chair, slouching. "Anything else?"

The purple-haired woman reached into her back pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper. "Honoka's friends came by and turned in their job applications."

"Did they?" Eli asked, a little impressed. "If those newbies that Honoka tried recruiting end up joining too, then our team is going to be bigger than it has been in a while," she explained as she took the applications from Nozomi's hand.

A purple card lined with silver fell out from between the applications.

"Ah, so that's where the third card went," Nozomi said as she flipped the card over.

"Did you give someone another reading?"

Nozomi said nothing and stared at the image in front of her. It was the picture of a knight atop a white horse, a flag in one of his hands. People surrounded the knight and his horse, and a man resembling a pope was conversing with him. On the bottom of the card, "DEATH" was written.

The purple-haired woman felt the tug of a smile on the corner of her lips.

Despite its name, the card of Death was a positive one. It spoke of a time of "destruction," where change led to personal growth and transformation, leading to a life with new beginnings.

In the back of her mind, Nozomi wondered what changes awaited Honoka's future.

"Well, she already changed a lot so far, hasn't she, Elichi?" Nozomi said as she showed the blonde the card she was holding.

Eli took a glance at the card then flicked her eyes up to stare at her lover. Her blue eyes shimmered with confusion.

"I don't get it," she bluntly said.


	5. Don't Regret a Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> school started so expect a long period of inactivity from me as i try to sort my life together with all these ap classes + writing for my idol babies
> 
> and i was considering writing an au for aqours too. once i finish this story that is, lol. can't get ahead of myself.
> 
> enjoy.

Honoka didn't know what to do.

Here she was, standing in front of her two best friends. They were at their usual spot, sitting at the bench that stood in the shade of the largest tree in the school courtyard. All three of them were enjoying their lunches when Kotori decided to drop the bomb on Honoka. The orange-haired girl didn't believe her own ears, and even after Umi reiterated what Kotori said, Honoka _still_ wasn't sure if she should believe them, which prompted her to jump out of her seat.

After all, the news was just too good to be true.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you two _serious?"_ Honoka's wide eyes grew even wider, up to the point where one might think that her eyeballs might pop out of their sockets.

"Why wouldn't we?" Kotori asked cheerfully, laughing at Honoka's reaction.

"Would we ever lie to you, Honoka?" Umi added with a coy look.

Honoka's expression tightened into a pout, her lower lip jutting out. She knew full well that her friends were getting a kick out of her, and she refused to give in and dance in their palms.

"Unless the both of you have proof, then I won't believe it!" Honoka said as she placed her fists on her hips, nodding her head more to herself than to her friends.

The two exchanged confused glances with one another.

"Proof?" Umi began, "How are we supposed to give you proof?"

Honoka grinned. "That's for you two to figure out!"

"She has no idea, does she Umi-chan?"

"No, she doesn't."

"Hey!" Honoka exclaimed, "I can hear you!"

Kotori and Umi shared laughter together, and Honoka eventually joined in. As the wind carried their joviality away and the orange-haired girl sat next to Kotori, she looked at her friends with furrowed eyebrows.

"Wait, don't you two have other things to do out of school? Won't adding a job be too difficult to handle?" She asked, trading worried glances between blue and gray.

Umi hummed and leaned back against the bench, staring up sky through the thin fingers of the tree. "It'll be hard to juggle archery with a job like this, but I can handle it. An alumni used to do the same thing, but always managed to come for every competition, so I think I can do it too. Besides," she turned and gave her friends a small smile, "we're just reviewing old techniques for the newcomers until the competitive season starts."

Honoka gave an exclamation of understanding and nodded several times before looking at Kotori. "How about you? Isn't your internship almost a full-time thing?"

Another breeze blew past, but this time it left an uneasy silence in its wake. Kotori's amber eyes faltered under Honoka's gaze and she looked ahead of her. Eventually, even that became too much for her and she drifted her eyes to stare at the foliage-covered ground.

"I'm going to quit my internship today," Kotori muttered softly.

Honoka froze.

Now she _really_ didn't know what to do.

The first thing she did was open her mouth, and sputtered out unintelligible noises until she closed it. Words were flashing across her mind, but she was unable to formulate a coherent sentence. She opened her mouth again, taking a moment to glance at an Umi who was now staring at the sky with a grim expression, before finally deciding to speak.

"But _why?"_ She asked.

"Because we knew that you couldn't save the cafe with only four people." It was Umi who spoke.

"And because of that," Kotori began, "we decided to join you at Muse. So that we can help you save it."

Honoka couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyesight wavered, unsteady and wobbly, as if the breeze that blew past was enough to knock it down. "But—"

"It's because we care, Honoka," the blue-haired girl said as she stared Honoka straight in the eye with a steady gaze.

An unbelievable amount of guilt was beginning to eat up at Honoka's chest. "But that doesn't mean you had to give up on your dream, Kotori-chan."

The gray-haired girl finally looked up and gave a shaky giggle. "N-no! It's okay, really. I'm sure I'll find another fashion opportunity one day. Besides, it's not like I'm going to abandon creating designs forever—maybe I can help Muse with their uniforms, you know?"

A warm hand covered Honoka's fist; the orange-haired girl didn't realize she had clenched her hand in the first place.

"Don't feel bad, okay? I did this of my own accord," Kotori said with a gentle smile. She squeezed her friend's hand with a light pressure.

Honoka forced herself to smile but it threatened to fall off, so she taped it on with the façade of joy.

"Yeah, I guess it's fine," Honoka said, squeezing back.

It wasn't fine.

-X-

Nico was dead tired.

She didn't know how she did it, but she managed to enter her apartment and trek all the way into her bedroom. However, that proved to be too much for her and she ended up collapsing onto the carpeted floor right beside her bed.

She groaned into the floor.

The urge to close her eyes and sleep for all of eternity was very tempting, but she had work later that day, with Nozomi as her partner in crime.

God only knows what that woman would do if she was by herself in the cafe.

"Ah dammit, might as well get ready then," Nico muttered to herself as she slowly got up. She managed to get on her knees then crawl the rest of the way to her bed, but stopped when she noticed three similar-looking faces, two girls and a boy, staring back at her.

"You said a bad word," the oldest of the two girls said.

The girl in the center, who was coincidentally the middle child out of the three brats, nodded her head in agreement. Her red eyes gleamed, even in the dim room. "Yeah, a bad word!"

"Bad word," the boy at the end reiterated with a sniffle.

Nico stared at her siblings with a deep frown.

"Why the he—why are you three here?" She asked.

"It's super cold," the middle girl said, "and your room has the only working heater. And it's suuuuper big compared to the rest of ours so we get to play—"

"Cocoa, did you touch my stuff again?"

"—and then we get to end up sleeping together because the bed is suuuuper big!" Cocoa finished with a flourish of her arms, effectively ignoring her eldest sister.

Nico sighed through her nostrils, taking her little sister's denial of answering the question as a "Yes."

"Did you guys eat yet?" Nico asked, finally getting up from her knees and standing on her sore feet. She promptly threw herself onto the bed, smiling as she relished the feel of melting into the warm embrace of the mattress. Her youngest siblings took this as a signal to start climbing on top of her.

"No, not yet," the boy said, deciding to the spot on Nico's stomach. The woman noticed a familiar shine coming from his nostril.

Disgust contorted her face as she wiggled underneath her brother.

"Ugh, Cotarou! Blow your nose I can see your snot—NO DON'T COME CLOSER WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

The raucous laughter from the middle child, who decided to settle on Nico's legs, echoed through the room as Nico struggled with her brother. Eventually the woman won and she flung Cotarou to the spot next to her, his tiny body shaking with mirth.

Watching her siblings have a good time made Nico smile tiredly; if her suffering was enough to make these brats happy, she would willingly do it time and time again.

Suddenly her eyes widened and she turned to the second-oldest sibling, who was wearing a patient, yet amused smile. Despite her young age, Nico always had the impression she knew much more than she was letting on.

"How come you guys didn't eat yet, Kokoro? I'm pretty sure there's still leftovers from last night-"

"Mom came by today!" Cocoa interjected, scooting up so she sat on Nico's stomach.

The woman wished her sister hadn't done that—she could feel something churning in her gut.

"Mom?" Nico asked, unable to keep the shocked tone out of her voice. A bitter taste was beginning to develop in her mouth, and she swallowed before she continued. "What was Mom doing here?"

"She came by to give us some stuff," Cotarou said quietly as he sniffed.

"She also gave us money," Kokoro added.

Nico hummed to herself as she stared at the ceiling, digesting the information. She couldn't remember when the last time their mother had visited was, but Nico knew for a damn fact that it was a long time ago.

Nico sighed; she was starting to feel a buildup of bitterness in her chest, _despite_ knowing _why_ her mother had to—

Three fingers poked her face and Nico snapped out of her thoughts.

"You're going to be late for work, you know," Kokoro pointed out.

Cocoa nodded a bit too enthusiastically. "Yeah, late!"

"Late," Cotarou mumbled.

Nico narrowed her eyes in confusion and glanced at the clock that hung on her wall that ticked away the seconds without a sound.

Her red eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"It's 4:55 already?" She screeched, picking Cocoa up from her stomach and setting her beside Kokoro. She scrambled to her sore and screaming feet, and raced to her drawers. She pillaged every shirt, pair of shorts, and underwear until light coughing and sniffling caught her attention.

Nico looked down to see Cotarou staring at her while pointing at the door.

"Your apron is there," he said.

Despite her panic-ridden self, Nico smiled gently at him and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "Thanks," she said before snatching her green apron from the back of the door. Rushing over to her sisters, Nico gave them sloppy kisses on their foreheads as well. Cocoa giggled uncontrollably while Kokoro squinched her eyes tightly.

"I'm going to be heading off now," Nico began, "so you guys better take care of yourselves! You know the rules. Kokoro, you're—"

"—in charge of the others and the food," she finished with a small smile.

The woman nodded affirmingly and turned to Cocoa. "And you—"

"—need to finish homework and chores," she grumbled with crossed arms.

Finally, Nico looked over at Cotarou, who was know picking at his nose. "And you—"

"—need to take my medicine and focus on getting better," he muttered.

Nico flashed him a disapproving frown. "And quit picking your nose!"

Cotarou didn't stop, and Cocoa's loud laughter filled the room again. Eventually, Nico joined in and, surprisingly, so did Kokoro. The only one who seemed utterly confused by everything was the young boy, whose finger was still stuck up his nostril.

"Come here," Nico said with shuddering shoulders as she extended her arms. All three children attached themselves to her, like nails to a magnet, and squeezed their older sibling with all the strength they could muster. "I love all of you," Nico mumbled into Kokoro's shoulder.

"We love you too," the other three chanted in unison.

Nico smiled and tightened her hold on them.

She always hated letting go first.

-X-

Umi couldn't stop bouncing her knee.

The sound resonated through the empty hall she sat in, bouncing off the immaculate gray walls, gray ceilings, gray chairs—everything was gray.

The realization made her knee go faster.

She had no idea _why_ she was nervous in the first place. After all, she wasn't the one resigning from an internship—that was Kotori.

Umi crossed her arms across her chest and dug her nails into her biceps; now she was _really_ getting nervous.

Suddenly, the heavy gray doors sighed open and Umi jumped to her feet, back straight and eyes wide with attention. Kotori walked through with a calm smile, but Umi noticed that her knuckles were bone-white as she clutched at her handbag.

"They didn't really get it, but they understood," Kotori said, answering Umi's unspoken question. Her amber eyes glimmered in the bright light. The blue-haired girl couldn't force herself to smile, even though she knew she had to.

Knowing Kotori was holding back her tears was enough to dampen Umi's spirits.

"You know you didn't have to quit," Umi said with a gentle quietness, reminiscent of a mother reminding her child.

"You know I had to, Umi-chan," Kotori muttered as she shuffled along, looking as if the lightest touch could topple her over. Her eyes, still glimmering, were fixated on the ground, and only stopped when Umi's shoes came into her line of view.

The blue-haired girl caught the slightest crack in Kotori's smile, and she quickly gathered her friend in her arms. Kotori rested her forehead on Umi's shoulder and sighed; the blue-haired girl could feel the other's spirit leave her body with the drooping of her shoulders. A strained chuckle came from Kotori, and Umi felt a cold wave wash over her. Hearing such a low, downhearted noise when she was used to a high, energetic titter made her more than a little uncomfortable.

"Even though I chose to do it, this kind of feels like a break up," Kotori said, her already-quiet voice getting even more muffled as she spoke into Umi's shoulder.

"It always hurts when you part with something you love," the blue-haired girl mumbled.

Umi held Kotori tighter when she felt something wet seep into her shirt and chill the skin underneath.

-X-

When the bell rang twice to announce her arrival, Maki couldn't believe two things.

One, she couldn't believe how empty it was.

Two, she couldn't believe that she actually showed up to Muse.

Her violet eyes instantly went to the register, and saw that it was unmanned. If this was any other establishment, like A-RISE for example, Maki would have scorned on such irresponsibility. But no, Maki had foresaw this kind of thing happening, and like any reasonable person, she decided to promptly leave.

But unlike any reasonable person, she found herself rooted to the wooden floorboards like a nail. She didn't know what, but there was _something_ about this place that didn't make her want to leave, just like that God-awful flier—

A young woman with purple-hair poked her head out from a door behind the counter, which Maki assumed led to the back of the cafe. It only took a split second for the barista to lock eyes with the redhead, and when she did, Maki knew that it was too late to back down.

"Welcome," the woman said as she walked over to stand behind the register. A small, yet ambiguous smile played on her lips, and Maki suddenly felt on edge.

"...Hi," the redhead greeted tersely.

"Are you one of Honoka's friends?" The barista asked, tilting her head to the side. Her long pigtails swayed with the movement, and _that smile of hers was just—_

"If you're talking about that orange-haired girl," Maki began, "then no."

The woman closed her eyes in thought and held her chin in between her thumb and index. "Then how'd you know about this place? I mean, it's nothin' but a dump, right?"

An indignant splash of red coated Maki's face. "W-what? I never said that—"

"But that's what you were thinking, wasn't it?"

"N-no!" Maki screeched, "This place isn't a dump, it's actually really charming and-" She shut herself up, slapping her hand over her mouth when she saw the woman's smile grow with victory.

Maki cursed herself and the woman—she walked right into a trap.

"Why don't you come over here and order something? It might be on the house if I really like you," the woman said, her tone carrying more than several teasing notes. The redhead bristled and heavily considered walking out, but considering how much effort and time she put in trying to find the cafe, Maki begrudgingly took up the woman on her offer and forced her feet to shuffle to the register.

The woman's name tag gleamed in the sunlight coming through the windows, and Maki stole a quick glance at it.

Nozomi.

A light giggle sounded in the air, and the redhead gave Nozomi a confused look.

"My eyes are up here, you know."

A red-faced Maki felt the urge to punch her in the face.

"Anyways," Nozomi began, effectively cutting Maki off before she had a chance to speak, "what will your order be?"

"The raspberry-acai iced green tea and..." Maki hesitated as her eyes flitted over to the confectionary case that sat beside them, flaunting its tempting sweets, especially that _amazing looking chocolate-chip—_

"—a poppy-seed muffin," she finally blurted. In the inside, Maki grimaced; she _hated_ muffins.

The register's beeping filled the air as Nozomi punched in the redhead's order, calculating the price. In the middle of it all, however, she shot a coy glance over the register. "Not into coffee?"

The girl made a little noise in her throat as she tried to look anywhere _but_ at the heavy gaze of emerald weighing on her. "N-no, I'm just not in—"

"It's okay," Nozomi laughed, pressing a final button to calculate the total price, "I'm not fond of coffee either."

Maki slowly took her wallet out of bag, shooting a dubious look at the barista. "Then what are you—"

The purple-haired woman clapped her hands together to cut off the redhead. "Your total is going to be—"

With a sharp flick of the wrist, a credit card appeared in front of Nozomi's eyes, successfully stopping her words. She chuckled and took it with a smile, and began to process the transaction.

-X-

Nozomi couldn't help but find the redhead—Nishikino Maki was her name according to her credit card—very interesting.

She reminded Nozomi very much of two other women: unhonest about her feelings, constantly wearing a mask of impassiveness, trying to build themselves up to be someone that they weren't. The list could go on and on if Nozomi tried, but she contented herself by watching her lone customer with her hidden smile.

"You haven't touched your muffin yet," Nozomi pointed out. The muffin was still sitting on the small china platter, waiting patiently. The tea, on the other hand, had been hastily gulped down and less than half remained.

"I'm just saving it for last, is all," Maki mumbled under her breath as she went ahead to take a sip of her drink. Her cheeks were splattered with pink, and Nozomi noticed that she looked like a child getting caught for telling a lie.

Ah, another thing she had in common with those two: they were all horrible liars.

Nozomi shifted her weight on her toes to peek over the muffin, and saw only crumbs of the cookie she "didn't realize was on the plate."

Her smile grew at the sight.

"More of a sweet than a savory person too, huh?" Nozomi asked coyly. The redhead's cheeks darkened to match the color of her hair.

Got her.

"I-isn't this harassment?" She stammered, looking in the direction of the door as if she was contemplating whether or not she should dash out the cafe.

The woman tilted her head to the side. "Are you uncomfortable?"

Hesitation. Then, "O-obviously."

"Then," Nozomi began as she took out her beloved tarot deck from her back pocket, "how about a little fortune telling? To break the ice, y'know?"

The girl turned to stare at the deck, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She opened her mouth to say something, but the raucous beeping of an alarm sounded instead of words. Maki fumbled for her phone, stared at it for a bit, then turned off the alarm. With sudden urgency, she gathered her things and slipped something under the saucer.

"I have band practice," she said curtly, slinging her bookbag over her shoulder. Before she reached the door, she hesitated, then turned her head halfway so that she was staring at the armchair in the corner, rather than at Nozomi. She made a little noise in her throat, one that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a cough, and Nozomi made a perfect imitation of Eli's restrained laugh as she pocketed her deck.

"You have somethin' to say?" The woman asked.

"Thanks," Maki mumbled, her tone sounding rushed in a timid sort of way, "for the cookie."

"Don't worry about it. Just pay me back by playing something for us later. We have an old piano rotting somewhere," Nozomi replied, a corner of her lip turning up ever so slightly.

Maki turned on her heel, her face red with indignation. Her lips were pursed into a pout, and after a moment of staring at Nozomi, she turned around again and stomped out, throwing an "As if!" over her shoulder.

Before the bell said its goodbye to Maki, Nozomi caught her saying, "What a waste of a good piano."

The woman gave an amused huff; perhaps Maki was honest in her own way.

The back door opened and Nico walked out, looking more confused than her usual mask of boredom. She went on her toes to take a glance at the door before looking at Nozomi.

"We had someone?" She asked, looking at the almost-finished beverage and the neighboring muffin sitting next to it. "Who didn't eat what they _ordered?"_ Nico sounded thoroughly offended, and while she had every right to be (because, after all, who buys something and doesn't even take a _bite_ out of it?), Nozomi still chuckled.

"She's unique," the purple-haired woman said.

Nico scoffed. "Yeah, uniquely _rich,_ " She had walked over to collect the used cutlery, and took out the piece of paper that Maki had slipped under before she left. At first, Nozomi thought it was a note, but when Nico unfolded it and the purple-haired woman saw the number in the corner of the bill, her eyes grew.

"Wow," Nozomi breathed out.

"What do you mean, 'wow?' The kid's filthy rich!" Nico scoffed again and waved the bill in the air as if it was a flag. "The hell are we supposed to do with this kind of money?"

Nozomi closed her eyes and hummed, holding her chin in her fingers again. After a while, she smiled softly. To give such a generous amount after sneaking her _one_ little cookie? A simple "Thanks" would have been enough, but….

"She really is more honest than I thought," she said aloud.

Even if the purple-haired woman couldn't see it, Nico narrowed her eyes at her friend. "What're you talking about?"


	6. Go With Your Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how i'm doing it but i am
> 
> thanks to all the people who've commented and left kudos on their way out; i love every single one of you.
> 
> and to those who have decided to read this story, i love every single one of you too.
> 
> i'll never say that enough tbh

When Rin took her first step out the cafe, she stopped in her place and stretched her arms towards the sky. In between the gaps of her fingers, she saw the patchwork of clouds that were sown on the blanket of blue, languidly moving without a care in the world with the light breeze. She took a deep breath then exhaled; she could almost taste the scent of coffee in the back of her throat.

Today was a good day.

She relaxed herself and turned to Hanayo, was still too busy staring at the form in her hands. Behind her glasses, Rin could see Hanayo's eyes wide with awe. The orange-haired snickered to herself.

"Still can't get over it, Kayochin?" Rin said as she leaned over and rested her head on Hanayo's shoulder. She could see the piece of paper trembling in her friend's hands, and Rin thought that at any given moment, Hanayo was going to rip her schedule to shreds.

"I...I can't believe that we got in," Hanayo muttered.

"I thought you were going to burst into tears for a meowment in there!" Rin laughed and separated herself from Hanayo to flash a grin her friend's way, only to let out an exclamation of surprise when she saw the bespectacled girl staring at her with tears spilling freely like waterfalls.

"I-I'm so," Hanayo hiccuped and sniffed, "so h-happy, Rin-chan!" More tears began rolling down her cheeks in an almost-comical fashion, and Rin was torn on joining her friend in crying or laughing.

Perhaps a mixture of both would do the trick.

So Rin gathered her friend into her arms and squeezed as hard as she could, not caring if Hanayo's schedule was more ruinous than it should be. The orange-haired girl buried her nose in Hanayo's hair and inhaled, the warm scent reminding her of freshly cooked rice. Rin broke into a face-splitting grin as she took another breath, which compelled a singular tear to fall from her eyes.

Seeing other people cry was always a weakness of hers.

After a moment of half-restrained wails and constant sniffles, both girls separated with their faces flushed and eyes puffy. They laughed at each other's appearance and wiped their tears away before shuffling off.

"Are you excited, Kayochin?" Rin asked as she sniffled.

A nervous laugh came from her friend. "For work. Not about telling my parents."

Rin stopped and after a couple of paces, so did Hanayo. The orange-haired girl stared at the brunette with an expression that was a cross between confusion and worry.

"You still haven't told them?" Rin asked. She couldn't believe it—how could Hanayo have the audacity to apply for a job, _especially_ when her parents were incredibly strict?

The brunette blanched and looked uneasily to the side. "I didn't know how to bring it up."

"But shouldn't they nyow that you're doing this?"

"Yes, but," Hanayo's shoulders sank, "I knew that they would probably say no."

Rin approached her slowly. "So why—" She stopped herself when she saw Hanayo's violet eyes drift down to the cracked pavement, shining dully in the bright sun. The orange-haired girl said nothing as she quietly made her way over to her friend and grabbed Hanayo's hand. Rin gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, and she felt a light pressure squeeze back.

"You really want to do this," she said, stating the very obvious. Rin studied Hanayo's eyes beyond the red frames they hid behind; she read worry, fear, a hint of sadness, but what surprised her the most was an almost-imperceptible shine that looked like determination.

It took a moment for the brunette to speak. "I do," she muttered softly.

"Then if that's the case," Rin gave a half-smile, "if your parents can understand that, then I'm sure they'll let you go."

Hanayo looked up and the orange-haired girl stared steadily as her friend's searched her own for something, perhaps a reassurance to hold onto.

"You really think so?" The brunette asked.

"I do," Rin said.

Then, like a crack, the determination in her eyes ripped open her mask of insecurity and shone brightly, her spirits as bright as the sun above. Rin's smile grew at the sight.

"You'll be there to support me, won't you, Rin-chan?" Hanayo's face broke into a grin, and Rin found herself returning every ounce of fervor the brunette felt.

"Of course! After all, if you want it with all your heart, then who's going to stop you?"

The both of them shared laughter, but in the midst of her grin Rin felt something nibbling at her chest that made it falter just a bit.

-X-

Maki sighed.

Today was a bad day.

It had been days—she didn't know the exact amount, perhaps a week?—and she was _still_ stuck on the same piece. At this point, she felt no frustration; just discouragement and disappointment in herself. She _still_ couldn't find what was wrong with the piece, _despite_ the fact that she played _every_ rhythm on beat and _every_ pitch-

Maki took a breath and collected her nerves.

Okay, maybe she felt just a little frustration.

She sighed again and folded her arms atop the lid, then rested her cheek on them. Glumly, she stared at the beige wall covered with posters: they depicted basic rhythm notation, strokes for percussionists, labeled parts of instruments, choices for fine arts universities. They popped out in vibrant colors and words, but none of them captured her bored eye as she drifted from one to the other.

It was strange; all those fliers were professionally made, yet didn't resonate the same way that Muse poster did.

Maki shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She needed to focus on the task at hand. Wriggling a hand free from under her head, she reached out for her phone that had been resting beside the keyboard for the past two hours and a half as she "practiced." She unlocked it and pressed play on the music player that showed up.

_Blue Rondo a la Turk_ began to play.

Instinctively, her foot tapped to the beat, her fingers making the tiniest of ministrations as her muscle memory took over. She closed her eyes and allowed the piece to paint a picture in her head as every pitch and rhythm passed.

Comparing herself to the actual piece, Maki began to wonder if the thing she was lacking was similar to what the music propaganda that hung lamely on the walls didn't have.

The song came to an end, and Maki took her time with opening her eyes. She sighed, quite possibly for the umpteenth time before her phone vibrated, which caused her to jump in her seat. She frowned, wondering who would have texted her. She took a glance at her screen and frowned at the contact name.

Nozomi.

_Have you decided yet?_

Maki rolled her eyes and began typing her response. She didn't know why she had exchanged numbers with the woman the second time she went to Muse; maybe it was because of the tarot reading Nozomi had given her beforehand.

_No._

The woman's response was prompt.

_Why not?_

_Because_

Maki hesitated, her thumbs hovering over her keyboard as she tried to piece her thoughts together.

_Because it's none of your business._

_Of course it's my business, I'm the assistant manager._

The redhead rolled her eyes as another red smear made itself home on her cheeks.

Another text from Nozomi compelled Maki to stop typing in the middle of her reply.

_You know, you could always say no to the job offer._

For some reason, a very cold wave chilled her, biting into her skin, seeping beneath her bones, and held onto her core with icy talons. It took her a moment to force her frozen thumbs to move again.

_I know._

_Why are you hesitating? You said you would get back to me after a day or so, and if I know how to read my calendar, it's been more than that._

Maki was beginning to feel a scowl dig itself into her face.

_So?_

_So come by to give your response._

_Can't I just do it over text?_

_No._

_Why not?_

Unlike her other replies, Nozomi took more time in this one.

_You'll see._

_Wait, what do you mean?_

But Nozomi simply read her message and sent no reply. As Maki locked her phone, she sighed once more, then gathered her belongings.

That woman always left more questions than answers.

-X-

Honoka stared morosely at the register before her.

Today was a confusing day.

During school, she had been fluctuating between her moods as if someone had her tied on a string and swung her like a pendulum, forever swaying between elation and melancholy. Her classes had gone by well, exceedingly well: she had barely passed her latest quiz, and the teacher that she swore hated her since the moment she walked into the class was absent for the period. But when she was her friends, Honoka would feel her mood drop and her Inner Dog would flatten her ears against her head as she nibbled guiltily on her bread.

Honoka sighed.

"Someone's feeling a little down today," said a voice behind her, soon followed by the clanging of metal on metal. The orange-haired girl turned around and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Eli-chan," she greeted.

The blonde, whose arms were full of pots and pans, gave an awkward upturn of her lips. Honoka noticed that her eyes had a dull luster to them, unlike the muddy blue when Honoka first met her. The realization made the orange-haired girl's smile grow a little; Eli really was a pretty woman, and even more so when she allowed her emotions to show just a bit.

"What's up, kid?" Eli asked as waddled to the cupboards hidden under the counter near the girl. She opened one of them with her foot, then crouched down.

"Mm," Honoka gave another sigh, "nothing much, I guess."

"You don't sound too sure about that."

The younger of the two laughed. "I really don't, huh?"

"So," Eli paused from her activities to look up at Honoka, "what's up?"

The orange-haired girl interlaced her fingers together in front of her, thumbs fiddling against one another like the battle waging inside her chest. "Well, uh…."

"There."

Honoka blinked and furrowed her eyebrows together as she looked at Eli. "There what?"

"That's the problem," the blonde said as she placed the last pan in the cupboard, "You're not addressing it directly."

Honoka tilted her head to the side. "What's 'it?'"

"The problem." The silence from the orange-haired girl prompted Eli to continue, "You're not admitting to yourself what's wrong, and because of that, you want to avoid it as much as possible and nothing will get fixed."

A chill crept up Honoka's spine when she realized that Eli's statement hit home. However, she still kept silent and stubbornly mute.

"We keep things to ourselves because we don't want to be vulnerable and get hurt, so we bottle it up. But we always end up hurting ourselves anyways because keeping it inside does more harm than good." A very soft chuckle came from the blonde, and Honoka found herself warming up at the sound. "It's always easier said than done, though."

The girl gave a chuckle of her own. "I bet."

"Then I'll ask you again." Eli got up and closed cupboard door with her foot, but her blue eyes never left Honoka's. "What's up?"

The orange-haired girl took a moment for a breath, then slowly exhaled out her mouth. As she did, she could feel the tension in her chest leaving her; she felt much more relaxed, she realized.

"It's about Kotori-chan and Umi-chan," she muttered quietly.

"What about them?"

"I…" Honoka's eyes broke away from Eli's, "I feel like I've forced them into taking this job."

"What makes you say that?"

The orange-haired girl could feel a knot tying itself up in her throat, and she cleared it. "Because Kotori-chan quit her internship at this _very_ prestigious fashion company, _despite_ the fact she _wants_ to go to fashion school, perhaps even one _abroad_ , and even though Umi-chan said she doesn't have archery at the moment, I _know_ that eventually she's going to _choose_ between the cafe and the team, and I _hate_ knowing that I've put not only her but Kotori-chan in that spot and—"

A gentle hand on her arm forced Honoka to stop abruptly. She didn't know when she started to cry, but she didn't care; everything she kept inside of her, the bottle of emotions that had been shaken time and time again finally decided to burst, and a fountain of tears began to spill. She feebly wiped her face, but she decided to give up when the tears became too much for her to clean.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Honoka," Eli assured softly, rubbing her thumb in a to and fro motion. Honoka found solace in the ministration, and began to calm every so slowly.

"B-but—"

"They did it of their own accord. I'm sure they told you that, haven't they?"

"Y-yeah, but—"

"Then they _chose_ to do it, Honoka. It's not your fault; it never was."

Then the emotions bubbled up again. They frothed to the surface and bursted at the seams, and Honoka tackled the blonde into a tight hug. Eli let out a surprised exclamation but recovered quickly enough to reciprocate Honoka's embrace. Wails filled the air as the orange-haired girl sobbed with no boundaries, Eli rubbing her back and allowing her apron to get soaked with tears.

Even if the blonde couldn't see it, Honoka grinned all the while as she cried.

She never knew how liberating it felt to let everything go.

-X-

Nico wanted to slam her head against the counter.

Today was a frustrating day.

First, she had to prepare breakfast for the brats that morning, which wouldn't have been that bad _if_ it hadn't been for the god-forsaken microwave that decided to break down, resulting in her scrounging up scraps in order to cook _something_ for the kids. Then, she had to scramble for her belongings for college, and as much as she loved her siblings, they had decided to hang around her room, promptly messing up whatever papers she had prepared the previous night (they had apologized and quickly gathered up the reports, much to Nico's pleasure). And _finally,_ after being in class for two hours and almost setting her culinary textbook on fire, Nico managed to get to work on time and expected to be alone for the four or so hours she had working the night shift.

But the deity of luck wasn't on her side today, and sent people to enter the cafe.

At any other circumstance, Nico would have been delighted, exuberant even, to have people come in, especially when the customer count broke into the late-twenties for the first time in a long while. But since she was the only one during her shift, Nico was tasked with cooking, cleaning, _and_ manning the register.

By the end of it all, she wondered how she survived such an ordeal.

Now the sun was beginning to set, and it was at the angle that Nico hated the it most. Its rays, still bright enough to blind her even if she took a mere glance, shone through the windows and coated the counter with its orange light.

Nico sighed, then walked around the counter to take a seat on one of the many tall chairs lining the counter. She promptly slumped over, her head hitting the wood with a faint _thud._

Sighing once again, she closed her eyes and felt the stress of the day convert into fatigue. It weighed heavily on her, and Nico was certain she would have fallen asleep if it weren't for the soft ringing of the bell that jolted her awake.

Squinting her eyes against the light, she saw a familiar redhead wearing an unsure frown.

"Hey, princess," Nico called out, "even if you're rich, you still have to respect the sign. We're closed."

At this, Maki's frown deepened into a scowl. "Don't call me princess," she bit. Nico found herself being amused and allowed a small smile to cross her face.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's fine," Maki began, her face relaxing to a subtle smirk, "I would feel bad for picking on a gremlin anyways."

Nico felt herself flush and she jumped down to her feet, wearing a disgruntled expression. That tit-monster was beginning to influence this kid too much. "Why, I oughta—"

"Where's Nozomi?" The redhead asked as any indication of emotion fled from her face.

The black-haired woman stopped then shrugged, but her face was still hardened with annoyance. "Dunno. I don't think she had a shift today."

Maki's eyebrows knitted together. "She told me to stop by so that I can talk to her about the job."

"A job here?"

"Where else?"

"Watch your attitude, princess."

Maki said nothing, but Nico was able to read how much the redhead wanted to call her a gremlin again. It was enough to send her into another irate frenzy if the girl didn't approach her with a folded piece of paper in hand.

"The application," Maki clarified, holding it out in front of Nico. The black-haired woman could see the imprint of a scribbled signature through the paper.

"You're joining?"

The redhead gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Might as well, if Nozomi's going to keep bothering me about it."

Nico felt herself being rubbed the wrong way with Maki's tone. She looked up, boring her red eyes dead-on into purple ones. Under the heavy weight of the woman's gaze, the girl shifted her eyes to the lower-left uneasily before looking straight ahead. Nico never broke away.

"This job means a lot to many people," Nico declared, images of young Eli and Nozomi grinning, a crying Honoka, a star-eyed Hanayo, a laughing Rin, the timid smiles of Kotori and Umi, and even her siblings flashed across her mind's eye.

Maki look at her with a mix of confusion and annoyance "And?"

"And so when you apply over here, that means you're serious."

The redhead said nothing.

"Are you serious about this?"

Nothing.

"Are you going to be putting your all?"

Still nothing.

"Are you going to be committed?"

Absolute silence.

"Will you put your heart in this, like the others?"

At that, Maki's eyes widened as if she had an epiphany and she stuffed the application in the breast pocket of Nico's apron. With a sudden burst of energy, the redhead ran to the door.

"W-wait, where the hell are you…." Nico's words trailed off as the bell sang its goodbye to Maki, who was now sprinting down the sidewalk. The woman scratched her head. "The hell is she going?" She mumbled to herself as she took out the paper in her pocket and unfolded it. She skimmed over it, only checking to see if the necessities were filled.

When Nico reached the bottom of the page, she noticed something scrawled on the bottom, on the "Other comments/questions/concerns?" portion of the application.

"'I'll be your pianist?'" She read aloud, unable to comprehend the meaning of such a simple sentence. After staring at it for several more seconds, she decided that she wouldn't find the answer on her own, and slipped it back into her pocket as she made a mental note to ask Nozomi about the whole thing.

Nico looked out at the glass window. The sun had sank below the roofs that built the horizon, the remaining light painting a beautiful landscape of an orange desert with indigo dunes.

She took a breath, taking in the very familiar, but very comforting scent of coffee,

She was going to be training a bunch of brats soon,

"Well," she turned around, taking in the sight of the empty cafe, "might as well enjoy it while it lasts."

She smiled to herself.

"This place isn't going to be quiet for a long time."

-X-

_Rin-chan._

_Kayochin?_

_I told my parents._

_HOWD IT GO_

_It went...well, for the most part._

_...What do you mean?_

_They were upset and were about to go off, but I told them that this was what I really wanted to do and they mostly agreed about it._

_See! I told you it would work. :)_

_Yeah, I guess you're right…._

_You don't sound so sure, Kayochin :(_

_You kind of got me there, ha ha._

_What's wrong?_

_I was just...second-guessing if joining Muse was the right choice._

_Isn't it your dream to work there though?_

_Well yeah but…._

_So what's making you have cold feet?_

_I'm just wondering if I'm fit for the job, is all…._

_Did your parents say that?_

_My dad._

_Hey, Kayochin, it doesn't matter what other people say. If you want to do it, then do it! Isn't that what I always tell you?_

_Yeah, I guess you're right :)_

_Nyaha! Of course I am!_

_Okay, goodnight, Rin-chan._

_Okay! See you tomorrow, Kayochin! :)_

Hanayo locked her phone and rested it on her chest. She sighed, staring into the darkness of her room, and as she exhaled she felt a small, content smile cross her face.

Today was a satisfying day.


	7. Now We're Talkin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bless be to my new beta, LunaBloom, who you can find on FF under that name. idk if they're here on ao3, but for sure they're on FF. they're a blessing, i love them.
> 
> i hope you enjoy this chapter.

Umi wanted to scream.

Here she was, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the cramped counter, wedged between an exuberant girl that, from her orange hair to her unbridled energy, reminded her too much of Honoka. Umi wanted nothing more than to reach out and latch onto Kotori's hand for dear life, but her _stupid_ rationale and pride told her otherwise. So now she was left to suffer, clenching her clammy hands into fists as the orange-haired girl swayed back and forth, the latter's elbow occasionally brushing against Umi's bare arm.

No, Umi didn't want to scream—she wanted to die.

Suddenly, an uncomfortable warmth covered her already hot hand. Umi turned to see Kotori smiling gently at her, amber eyes shining with sympathy and understanding.

"How are you holding up?" She asked softly, leaning in a bit so that only Umi could hear her.

Umi, who was now trying her best to stop herself from shaking, gave a weak smile and a short nod. "Y-yeah," she said.

"That doesn't answer my question, Umi-chan," Kotori said as she worriedly raised an eyebrow.

Umi felt her face grow red at her mistake. "S-sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay. I know how hard it is to—"

The slow creak of the door opening cut her off, and all commotion in the room fell to silence. A haughty-looking woman (Umi couldn't remember her name—was it Neekeo?) strode in, her chin up high and arms folded across her chest. The door gave a faint _thud_ as it closed behind her. Her red eyes swept across the line of trainees, like a sergeant in charge of greenhorn cadets.

Umi would have been much more intimidated if the woman was taller.

Apparently, the girl beside her thought so too, and held back a snicker. Unfortunately, it was much too loud and everyone heard it.

"Hoshizora!" The woman barked. The orange-haired girl yelped then jumped into attention, back straight and arms lined up exactly at her side.

"Y-yes, sir!"

"The hell you think you are, laughin' at your boss?"

"I didn't do a-anything, Nico-sir!"

"Damn right! Make sure it doesn't happen again! _No one's_ going to be slandering the greatest chef to _ever_ walk this Earth!"

There was a quiet, yet collective groan that came from the girls, save for Rin, who was still at attention. Nico's face turned sour and she scowled. Umi thought she looked like a pup trying to bare its fangs against a wolf.

She stopped her laugh with a snort.

"Hey!" Nico called out, pointing right at Umi.

"S-sorry," the blue-haired girl said, her calm face beginning to break. "I d-didn't mean to—" she began, but her laugh broke free and cut her off. It resonated through the silent, empty cafe, a free, joyful sound that beckoned the others to join her.

Nico motioned with her hands to get them to calm down. "Okay, okay, enough. You guys need to—"

Kotori cut her off with a titter, which grew into a chuckle, then finally into a laugh. Rin jumped right in, relaxing instantly to double-over as mirth shuddered her body. Then the other two beside Rin, a brunette named Hanayo and a redhead named Maki, followed suit. All that was left was Nico, glowering red-face at all of them with an indignant pout.

" _Why you_ …." She trailed off and sighed, her tight expression relaxing into a stoic mask. "You all are going to be a handful, aren't you?"

As Nico contributed with her own chuckle, Umi couldn't help but agree with the small woman.

It was going to be a chaotic kind of fun, but luckily for Umi, growing up with Honoka was all the training she needed for this job.

-X-

"Well, now that we know that kitchen training is going to be tough, how about we tone it down, yeah?"

"Nozomi, we should have done that in the _beginning_."

"Oh hush, Nicocchi; it's a learning experience for all of us."

Nozomi looked out at the trainees, who were completely wiped out and had sat down at the various tables with their heads slumped down. Various smears colored their faces and aprons, and Nozomi noticed that Hanayo had a smudge of frosting streaking her glasses' lens. The purple-haired woman chuckled at the sight and shook her head.

"They all look wasted," Nico snorted. She was about to add something else, but a close-eyed smile forced the black-haired woman to shut up.

" _Anyway,"_ Nozomi began, opening her eyes and turning her gaze to the girls, "how about we do some redesigning?"

The gray-haired girl, Kotori, perked up instantly. "Redesigning?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with a sudden vigor. Nozomi's smile widened a little; like Honoka's, that girl's energy was _contagious_.

"Yes, redesigning. We, as in Elichi, Nicocchi, and Honoka, decided that since we have a bigger team, we should go for big changes as well. So we're going to do just that: add several things onto the menu, uniform designs, maybe even a mascot who can play music." Her green eyes trailed over to Maki, who instantly blushed under her gaze and whipped her head to the side so that she stared out the window. She lowered her head just a bit, so that her fringe was able to cast a shadow on her reddening cheeks.

"So," Nico cut in, sending Nozomi a suspicious look before looking out to the trainees before them, "any ideas?"

A heavy and awkward silence passed over the group. It was clear that it wasn't because of the lack of ideas, but because they were all too shy to share what was on their mind.

The purple-haired woman's smile faltered a little; this was going to be harder than she thought.

Then, right on time, the cafe's bell rang. All heads turned to the side, and Nozomi's smile widened when she saw a very familiar head of orange hair walk in.

"Hey Honkers, where were you?" Nico called out, "You missed the grand event. These kids almost set fire to the entire building."

The small woman let out a pained cry as Nozomi slapped her shoulder.

" _Moving on,"_ the purple-haired woman began through gritted teeth, "why don't you join us now that you're here? These kids could use a familiar face to rouse them up."

Honoka saluted. "Aye, aye!" she cried before heading off to sit in between Umi and Kotori. The three girls exchanged soft, but tired smiles. Nozomi found the sight endearing to watch.

"So, what are we doing?" Honoka asked, looking at the two women with shining eyes.

"The redesigning thing," Nico said.

"Oh yeah, that! I have the perfect idea for a new menu item!" Honoka declared with a thumbs-up.

"What is it?" Nozomi asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that while everyone was looking at the exuberant girl with their full attention, Kotori and Umi looked a tad scared. The purple-haired woman couldn't help feeling a bit of dread in her chest too.

"How about… _a meatball on a stick_?"

Everyone went dead silent.

Nozomi was appalled; was she actually being _serious?_ Everyone stared at Honoka, waiting for the orange-haired girl to laugh it off like some horrible joke, but when she swept her blue eyes to take in their reactions, everyone found out the answer at the same time.

"Holy _shit,_ she's serious," Nico mumbled under her breath.

Then Rin, stood up from her seat and pointed directly at Honoka. "You're a _genius_!" she declared.

Honoka took this as a sign to rise from her chair as well. "Right?!"

Then chaos erupted.

Kotori and Umi were trying their hardest to get Honoka to sit down, especially when the energetic teen tried to climb over the table to high-five Rin. Hanayo looked like she was on the verge of crying, but was still doing her best to hold Rin down like an inexperienced dog owner trying to tie their puppy to a pole. Nico tried to play the straight-man to the whole affair, but Maki quickly cut in with a witty remark.

"Don't call them idiots when _you're_ the biggest one here," she said.

That was enough for Nico to go on a furious tirade.

Nozomi watched all of this unfold with a small smile. After all, this was the liveliest the cafe has been for a long, long time.

But eventually her amusement ran out and she clapped her hands twice, surprisingly quieting down the commotion. Seven heads turned to her and Nozomi motioned for everyone to take a seat.

"Now, continuing on," she began as she pulled out a chair to sit on. "Honoka?"

"Yeah?"

The purple-haired woman gave her a mysterious smile.

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

Then everyone in their right mind let out a collective "WHAT?" of surprise.

"Oh my God," Nico began, sounding horrified, " _please_ tell me you aren't serious."

Nozomi gave the woman a look, tilting her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I be serious?"

Nico gawked at her, unable to form any sort of coherent response.

"Anyways," Nozomi began, "I think we should charge the meatball on a stick for—"

A hand squeezed the purple-haired woman's shoulder gently, prompting her to fall into silence. Nozomi looked up and saw Eli staring at her with a raised eyebrow. It was a silent demand for an explanation of what was going on.

"Oh, Elichi, you're right on time—"

"Nozomi, don't encourage them," the blonde said with a sigh, a tired but loving smile growing on her face. The purple-haired woman saw her lover's eyes giving off a dull sparkle in the bright sunlight and a slight tug of sympathy pulled at Nozomi's heartstrings. She instantly dropped the façade and mimicked Eli's expression, especially when the latter ran her fingers through purple bangs.

Nozomi would have forgotten they were surrounded by people if Honoka didn't butt in.

"What do you mean by encouraging?" she asked as she furrowed her eyebrows together.

"Means she was joking, kid," the blonde said. Nozomi scooted to the side to make room for her lover, and they shared the cramped space on the small chair. She didn't mind though; she always loved being as close as possible to her adorable Elichi.

"Joking?" It was Rin this time that spoke, and she sounded very, _very_ disappointed.

"Yep," said Eli.

Sighs of relief came from everyone, save for two groans.

"Can't believe Nozomi-chan would deceive us like that," Honoka sighed as she dejectedly rested her chin on the table.

"You get used to it," the blonde said with a shrug.

Nozomi nodded her head with a faint smile. "Yep! Nicocchi and Elichi would know."

Then on cue, both Nico and Eli narrowed their eyes at her. "What's that supposed to mean?" they asked in unison.

The purple-haired woman said nothing and smiled larger. There were some things she preferred to keep to herself.

"Anyways," Eli gave a sigh and leaned forward, folding her arms atop the table, "let's get down to business, yeah?"

A loud cry of excitement came from Honoka, prodding the rest to follow suit with their own half-hearted yells. Nozomi chuckled to herself.

Things were getting interesting now.

That's when the meeting truly began, starting with the menu. Ideas were flung across the room, and while some were dropped, others were caught and were fleshed out. They eventually settled with the idea of meals; not only would they provide people with more options than sweets and simple snacks, but it would provide an excuse for the cafe to stay open for longer periods of time to attract some kind of rush hour. The group decided to serve a variety of salads as well as sandwiches, with a free dessert to boot if one wanted to dine in at the cafe. It was described by Nico as, "a _sweet_ deal."

No one laughed.

Trudging on without an embarrassed Nico, they all agreed to change the design of the uniform. Although not horrible, the forest-green apron of Muse didn't stand out either. Kotori, who instantly jumped on the topic, quickly took out a notebook (no one knew where it came from and decided not to question it) and sketched an idea for a uniform.

It was met with instant approval.

Nozomi thought it looked similar to A-RISE's uniform, although it lacked the beige beret and white cravat. According to Kotori, the collared shirt was to be cream-colored, with a black tie. Bottoms were to be black as well, with the choice between pants or a skirt. Over all that, a light-brown apron was to be worn, the white insignia of Muse decorating the center. Two pockets were near the thigh area, in order to hold onto the necessities of a notepad and tips.

It was simple. But perhaps that simplicity was what made the uniform so perfect for the cafe; it was something so quietly charming people couldn't help but feel intrigued, as if there was more to the eye than the appearance let on. Or, at least, that's what Nozomi thought.

Her eyes trailed to the blonde staring intently at the napkin. She smiled.

Yes, the design was perfect.

And now with two of three problems completed, Nozomi was surprised on how challenging finding a mascot for the cafe was. All of them had no idea where to start.

They waded in silence, some staring at the ceiling while others moved parts of their body in tiny ministrations. Nozomi found herself staring blankly at the wall, semi-consciously noticing how tense Eli was.

She put a hand on the blonde thigh and the blonde relaxed immediately.

"Do you have any ideas?" Nozomi asked, never taking her eyes off the spot the wall.

Eli hummed in thought then shook her head. "Not a clue."

"Oh!" Rin beamed, clapping her hands together. "What we have something really cute as our mascot? Like a cat!"

Everyone took this in consideration, then Umi raised her hand. Eli nodded her head to acknowledge her.

"Don't you think a cat's too… generic? We want to stand out after all."

Maki nodded in agreement. "Yeah. There're a bunch of restaurants that have cats as mascots."

"Nyaw man," Rin gave a pout and deflated, and Hanayo gave an amused laugh as she rubbed her friend's back comfortingly.

Honoka, who was sitting so that her chair was balancing on the last two legs, looked over to Nozomi and Eli. "How about an alpaca? Those are cute, but I don't think a lot of people use them."

The purple-haired woman could feel her lover tense at the mention of alpacas and she stifled a laugh.

"No," the blonde cut in, shaking her head vigorously, "absolutely not."

Kotori looked at her with a confused look. "Why not?"

"Because," Eli stubbornly asserted.

"Because what?"

"Because _no."_

"Because Elichika got spat on by a llama when she went to South America, so now she doesn't like any anything that resembles a llama," Nozomi chimed in with a wink.

The blonde turned to her lover, her face red with embarrassment. Her eyes glimmered with the hurt and horror of being betrayed. "N-Nozomi!"

The purple-haired woman gave her an ambiguous smile. "We have to be honest with them too, my dear."

Nico snorted. "Hypocrite."

She cried out in pain when Nozomi slapped her arm again.

"C'mon Elichi—"

"Kid, don't call me that."

"Yeah, Elichi—"

"Nozomi, don't you start taking her side on this."

But their stares became too much for the blonde's placid mask to handle and it cracked. Eli gave a loud and heavy sigh as her shoulders slumped while she nodded—a sign of resignation.

Honoka cheered, pumping her fist in the air while Nozomi laughed gaily. The purple-haired woman leaned over so that her lips were just brushing against the blonde's ear.

"You're a sweetheart," she whispered fondly, "I'm glad that you're warming up to these kids."

Watching Eli's ear turn bright red was a very satisfying sight for Nozomi to see.

-X-

Maki sighed.

The last lingering notes of _Blue Rondo a la Turk_ faded away into nothingness into the air, leaving the heaviness of eight pairs of eyes boring into her, judging her.

Then they broke into raucous applause.

The redhead felt herself grow redder and redder at the noise. While yes, she had performed in front of crowds of varying sizes, she never thought anything of it. She believed that clapping was an obligatory act. But now here she was, basking in the cheers and cries of amazement from her eight co-workers.

She had to admit it, even to herself; it felt nice to be cheered on by these people. She didn't know what it was nor why it happened, but Maki could feel a certain kind of intimacy in their praise. It urged her to accept it all with a crooked smile. It compelled her to play another piece just for them: an encore for the people she felt actually listened to her for the very first time in a very long while.

The thought made her chest swell with an unfamiliar, yet comforting mixture of humility and pride.

"That was amazing!" Honoka beamed, eyes sparkling with unbridled awe.

Rin, who was standing next to her, nodded with the same amount of energy. "Yeah, it really was! How long have you been playing?"

"Ever since I was five, I think," Maki answered quietly.

Impressed murmurs traveled across the group, and the redhead flushed even more.

"I'm surprised you were this talented," Nozomi said with that small smile of hers.

That was a blow to Maki's pride and she knitted her eyebrows into a sour expression. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The woman just replied with a wink and a chuckle.

"Alright, alright," Eli said as she clapped her hands to get everyone's attention before Maki could say anything else, "I think we can call it a day. We got a lot done today so that's great. Tomorrow we'll set everything in stone. Everyone knows their positions and jobs, yeah?"

There was a round of murmured agreement and nodding. Eli huffed out of her nose, a tired, yet satisfied smile pulling her lips. Maki noticed that her blue eyes were shining brighter now, compared to the beginning of the day.

"Okay. Everyone's free to go then."

Everyone shuffled off to the back room to gather their belongings, save for a redheaded girl sitting on the piano bench and a brunette standing shyly in front of her.

Maki flicked her gaze at the brunette—Hanayo, she believed it was—and the latter visibly winced. It reminded the redhead of rabbit, ready to flee at any given moment. But Hanayo stood her ground and pushed her glasses up her nose. The pink smear across one of the lenses just enough to pull out the faintest of smiles from Maki.

An awkward silence filled the air.

"Uh," Hanayo began, but then cleared her throat when her voice cracked, "t-that was pretty good."

"Thank you."

"...So you've been playing since you were five?"

"That's what I said, yes."

"A-ah, right. Of course."

There was another uneasy quietness, one that put Maki on edge. After another excruciating minute or so in silence, the redhead was about to stand to leave, but soft words bolted her to the bench.

"Excuse me?" She said.

"I said, 'it must be nice to have something to be passionate about.' You must really be dedicated to music if you've been playing since you were that young."

Maki shifted in her seat, swaying almost imperceptibly as she thought over Hanayo's words. "I suppose," she began slowly, "but I started because I felt like I was obligated to."

"Are your parents musicians?"

The redhead shook her head, laughing. The thought of her overly-serious father and carefree mother being musicians was enough to amuse her for years. "No. But I come from a rich family, so I guess you can say music is a… _lady-like_ pursuit."

Hanayo made an O-shape with her mouth as she readjusted her glasses again. "But if you didn't like it, then you had a choice not to keep going then, right?"

"I guess," Maki said as she shrugged.

"Then what made you keep going? I don't think you would have done something as hard as this for so long if you didn't genuinely like it. You don't really strike me as that kind of person," the brunette said with a nervous laugh.

Maki lifted her hand and rested it on the keyboard, the familiar feeling of smooth wood kissing her fingertips and comforting her. With ease she pressed on the keys, and the beautiful sound of a simple C chord sang in the air. She listened as the chord faded into nothingness, then slipped her hand away from the piano. Maki felt a sudden peace settling within her, the same peace that she felt whenever she finished a successful rehearsal.

"I think there's something about playing music that feels…whole," Maki began, "As if you were having a conversation with the composer, any composer. When I play, I feel like I'm taking a walk with Beethoven, watching the moon with Debussy, or watching Bach pray in a church. I can feel what they felt whenever I play, and it resonates within me. I can feel their struggle and their pain. And when I reach the end of a piece, I feel like I've understood them and other people just a little more."

She looked over to see Hanayo's purple eyes shimmering in the setting sun. The sight made something lurch in Maki's chest, and she had the dreadful feeling that maybe she said too much.

"That was very poetic," the brunette breathed out.

Maki turned a deep color of maroon.

She _definitely_ said too much.

"W-whatever," she mumbled under her breath, looking away so that she could at least attempt to forget about Hanayo's stare.

"You really have a special place in your heart for music, don't you?" Maki heard Hanayo say.

Ah, there was that word again.

Heart.

It took a moment for Maki to collect herself, and when she did, she chuckled very, very quietly.

"Maybe that's it," the redhead mumbled as she rested her fingers against the keys, "That's what makes music so beautiful."

Another C chord filled the air, and this time, it sounded more satisfying to the musician's ear.

-X-

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back!"

"I brought Umi-chan and Kotori-chan with—ah! Yukiho!"

The younger girl turned around, a small wooden spoon hanging out of her mouth. "What?"

"You ate my pudding!"

Yukiho shrugged and turned away. Before Honoka could go on a tirade, two hands held her back at the elbows.

"Let's go get started on our homework," Umi suggested as she guided the orange-haired girl in the general direction of Honoka's bedroom. Kotori gave a wave in Yukiho's direction before following the other two.

An older woman with weary blue eyes that still sparkled with life and shoulder-length brown hair poked her head just enough so she was able to peer into the living room.

"Is your older sister back?" She asked.

"Yep," Yukiho replied as she scraped the bottom of the plastic cup for the elusive remains of pudding.

"She didn't even say hello to her own mother," the woman said with a disapproving frown.

The young redhead couldn't help the lopsided smile crossing her face. "That's too bad," she said.

"Watch what you're saying to your mother!"

Yukiho replied with a short laugh, but it was loud enough to ring through the entire room. Even her mother couldn't help her own chuckle.

"She's been energetic lately, hasn't she?"

"Implying that she's never energetic?"

Her mother laughed even louder. "Okay, that's true. But she's been in a better mood since your father passed away."

The light joviality that Yukiho had been feeling suddenly dissipated into nothingness, like a memory long forgotten. "And ever since the candy shop closed down," she added quietly.

There was a thick heaviness in the air. Yukiho dared not to breathe; she felt that if she did, she would find herself collapsing the same way her father did years ago.

"She's really trying her hardest," her mother muttered after a long while.

"She is…."

"Yukiho?"

"Yeah?"

"Look out after her."

"Why me? She's the older one. Besides," the redhead paused as she let the distant squeals and laughter coming from the bedrooms fill the silent living room, "she already has those two."

Her mother gave a huff of amusement. "Yeah," she began, "I guess you're right."

-X-

"Hello?"

" _Eli?"_

"Hi, grandma."

"Harasho, _you're still alive."_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

" _Nothing, my dear. Just a joke."_

"I know, I know. Why'd you call?"

" _Just checking to see if you're doing okay. I know running a restaurant and going to college at the same time is tough."_

"I'm making do."

" _How is it? The cafe?"_

"...We're still in the red, but our team got bigger. I feel like we'll pull through, especially with how enthusiastic they are."

"Harasho. _It still surprises me that it's still alive, you know?"_

"I know."

" _Do you have a successor in mind? After all, aren't you transferring schools after this school year?"_

"You."

" _Oh Eli, you know I can't."_

"I know, grandma. I was joking."

" _You young ones and your humor. Don't push yourself, okay?"_

"I know."

" _You're still pursuing that fine arts academy, aren't you?"_

"...I am."

" _I'm sure you'll do fine."_

"...Thanks."

" _I love you."_

"I… I love you too."

When Eli hung up with a sigh, a light giggle sounded beside her. She looked down, and the framed face of Nozomi was looking up at her, eyes sparkling.

"You're not cheating on me, are you?"

Even if it was a joke, the blonde felt hurt; never in her life would she even _think_ about another woman.

Nozomi said nothing but smiles gently, understanding the meaning behind Eli's silence.

"I love you, you know?" She said quietly.

Eli just had to smile. There was something about being next to Nozomi that put her at incredible ease. With a simple smile, simple words, or even a simple touch, Nozomi was able to calm the turbulent storm of thoughts raging in Eli's ever-busy mind.

She had no hesitation in her reply.

"I love you, too."


	8. It Feels Like Times Are a'Changing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delayed update! i just needed a break from this work, aha. but here i am, with the longest chapter i've written!
> 
> i hope you enjoy
> 
> and forgive me if the characters seem a bit off; i'm doing my best to get into the swing of things

Nico groaned for the umpteenth time.

"No, no! Rin, i _told_ you this before; you don't put the frosting before the cake enters the oven-you put it in _first_ and then _wait_ for it to cool, _then_ you put the frosting. It's not rocket science!"

Rin, whose is face is practically caked with flour, made a little noise that was a mix between a whine and a groan. "Nyaw man, I can't do this!"

Nico blew a raspberry before shaking her head slowly. "I'm beginning to believe that myself," she mumbled underneath her breath. Before she was able to fall into a spiral of despair and disappointment, Nico took the time to sweep the kitchen with her eyes.

Hanayo and Maki had been tasked with creating the batter and frosting, the foundations of creating a cake. The beginning had been rocky (because, for some reason, Hanayo had thought one egg meant putting one _whole_ egg into the batter, shell and everything), but with Nico's guidance, those two were doing much better. Rin had been given the job of putting the cake in the oven and then coating it with the first layer of frosting, which was arguably the easiest job of it all, and _still_ managed to fail horribly at it—Nico made a quick note in her head to teaching Rin privately before the day of training ended. Finally, Kotori and Umi had been given the hardest part of the cake-making process: applying the finest details in order to make the cake, well, look like a cake. Nico expected them to completely botch their job, but was extremely impressed with the way they worked together; with Kotori's designer sense kicking in coupled with Umi's eye for details, they were able to create a cake that, at least, _looked_ appealing. The taste, Nico knew, would be a different story.

But, Nico had to admit, these kids were working better than she had anticipated. She gave Honkers kudos in the back of her mind; the girl knew who to recruit.

Speaking of Honkers….

Nico turned her head around and saw Honoka sitting on the counter, watching the trainees with a biggest grin on her face. Nico, on the other hand, frowned as deeply as she could.

"Honkers," she called out, her tone deadpan.

Honoka turned to her, blinding Nico with her smile. "Yeah?"

"Why aren't you training with them?"

At this, Honoka's grin faded away instantly. "Should I?"

Nico felt her eyebrow twitch with annoyance. "Yes, you should."

"…Why, though?"

Nico felt her cheek twitch this time. "You don't remember what happened the other day?"

"What happened the other day?"

Nico could feel her nerves beginning to break; if Honoka was playing dumb, she was doing a _damn good job at it._ "You were in the kitchen."

"I was in the kitchen."

"And you were trying to make a cake."

"I was trying to make a cake."

"Yes. Do you remember what happened _after_ that?"

Honoka blinked several times, tilting her head to the side as if it would make the memory come to her mind any faster. Suddenly, her placid expression lit up and her grin came back in full-force. "Oh yeah! The cake was completely burnt."

" _Yes,_ it was completely burnt. And, you know, as a cafe trying to get out of the red, we want to—"

"Ooooh!" Honoka made a fist and placed it on the palm of her other hand. "We want to make good food and get people to come here!"

The thin smile that crossed Nico's face was enough to make Honoka's run away. "You're right," Nico seethed through gritted teeth.

"I'll go get ready, then," Honoka quickly said. She gave a shaky laugh before she sprinted towards the back of the cafe in order to avoid the wrath of a very small, but a very angry Yazawa Nico.

During her escape, Honoka narrowly missed slamming herself against Nozomi. The woman gave a mere raising of an eyebrow before making her way over to Nico. "You scared her." It was more of a statement than a question.

Nico's smile melted away and she gave a half-shrug. "I mean, you know…."

Nozomi exhaled out of her nose and shook her head. "You're frustrated and want everything to go perfectly smooth, right?"

Nico's indignant silence was enough to answer Nozomi's question, and the taller of the two laughed. "You're getting easier and easier to read with each passing day, you know?"

"The hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Same thing with Elichi."

"That doesn't answer—"

"It's like these kids are changing us old-timers…."

Nico picked up on the sudden change in Nozomi's tone, and noticed that the other woman's expression was, for lack of better term, vulnerable. It held the fondness and tender love of a mother, her green eyes shining dully in the light of the cafe. The sight warmed, yet chilled Nico's chest.

A younger Nozomi wouldn't have been so effusive.

But Nico didn't dare to point it out; it would only lead to more teasing and an aching chest after. So, instead, she crossed her arms and huffed haughtily, effectively capturing Nozomi's attention.

"Quit talkin' like a grandma," Nico said as she tilted her chin up. "You're making _me_ feel old, now."

Nozomi gave a brief exhale of amusement, shaking her head. The subtlest of smiles pulled on her lips, but Nico was able to catch it.

"Can't help it, Nicocchi; it's hard to believe that this cafe used to be so quiet and empty before."

Nico's mask threatened to fall off as she looked over the girls covered with flour, Honoka having joined them some time ago. All six of them wore the biggest grins they could muster, and the joyous clamor that escaped their lips was something Nico dared to call music.

"Yeah," Nico mumbled, relaxing herself as she put on a smile that mirrored Nozomi's, "this place is really changing, huh?"

-X-

"Good work today."

Hanayo, who had been busy slumping over the small table in the break room, perked up. She turned to the side and saw Eli's familiar, yet tired face. Her blue eyes reminded Hanayo of murky water in the prettiest way possible…ifit _was_ possible.

"A-ah, thanks," Hanayo said, forcing herself to smile. Chills went up her spine as Eli pulled out a chair, the deafening sound of plastic scraping against wood filling the empty room. Hanayo shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unsure on what to say. If her interactions with Nico weren't enough proof, Hanayo was never good at handling herself in front of authority, whether it be her teachers, her parents, or—

"How come you're not out there?" Eli asked, resting her elbow on the table before propping her chin on her palm.

"O-oh, uh," Hanayo felt cold sweat beginning to collect on her neck as she wiped her clammy palms on her pants underneath the table, "th-thanks."

Eli raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't answer my question."

"O-oh," Hanayo laughed nervously, "I-I didn't, huh?"

"You don't have to be so nervous, you know," Eli said as she gave a small smile. "I may be your superior, but I'm only a couple of years older. You can relax." She added the last part softly. It was supposed to be reassuring, Hanayo knew.

It wasn't.

And so, they sat in an awkward silence, the atmosphere heavy and weighing above them. Hanayo was too scared to break it. Not that she could've even if she wanted to; the air surrounding them was suffocating her, and she almost found it difficult to breathe—

"Does Nico intimidate you?"

Hanayo blinked several times. The question caught her off-guard, and it took a long time for it to process in her head. "W-well," she paused to swallow in order to soothe the dry spot in her throat. She tried to speak again, but her words got caught and she looked like a fish gasping for air.

"So, she does," Eli said, drawing the words out of Hanayo's lips. Hanayo closed her mouth and did a quick singular nod of confirmation. Eli's nostrils flared a bit as she gave a huff of amusement. "She doesn't mean any harm, really. Sure, she's short-tempered and, well, _short,"—_ Eli stopped and chuckled—"but she just wants to best for everyone and Muse, you know? It's her way of caring."

"Y-yeah, I guess that makes sense," Hanayo muttered.

"Still doesn't reassure you, does it?"

"Well," the pathetic chair Hanayo was sitting on creaked as she fidgeted again, "I guess it's just a matter of getting used to her and everything around here…."

"This your first job?"

Hanayo nodded.

"You're…not used to working with people, are you?"

There was a beat of hesitation before Hanayo replied. "I-is it that obvious?"

Eli's smile turned into the slightest of frowns as she gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Maybe it's 'cause I'm not that good with people that I noticed it in the first place."

Now that was a surprise. "You're not good with people?" Hanayo asked.

"Mm, kinda. I can hold conversations with them, but have them for too long and it gets draining. 'S why I'm sometimes by myself." Eli shrugged and her tiny smile came back again. "But knowing that there are other people here like me is comforting."

Hanayo blinked rapidly. She was known to be one of the smartest people in her grade, but here she was, sitting in front of her superior with her dumbfounded brain unable to process Eli's words fast enough.

"I-it is?" Her question came out as a squawk, and she nervously cleared her throat several times.

Eli's smile, however, never faltered. "It is."

Hanayo's chest felt much lighter, as if a burden was lifted off her shoulders.

Knowing that someone understood her _was_ a comforting thought.

-X-

Maki swore that the day was purposefully dragging itself along just to spite her.

Today had been a day off from school to commemorate some long-forgotten holiday, something Maki was utterly grateful for. But, of course, the bliss ended when she got an unexpected text from Nozomi saying that there would be special training for the newcomers.

On the bus ride to work, she had wondered what possessed her to apply in the first place. Now, sitting at one of the many empty tables littering the cafe, Maki promptly decided it had to be Nozomi's…voodoo tricks and gimmicks. Yes, that seemed to be the only reason—

"Oh, you're here."

Damn—think of the devil and she shall appear.

"First Hanayo-chan, now you? Are we _really_ that intimidating?" Nozomi laughed and shook her head before taking the liberty to sit across from Maki.

"I just wanted time alone, is all."

"You sound like Elicchi."

"I can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing."

Nozomi chuckled. "Just an observation, is all."

"…I see."

"So," Nozomi leaned forward, clasping her hands together, "what's wrong?"

Maki frowned slightly. "Nothing. Like I said, I just needed time on my own."

"Not used to people?" The woman guessed.

"No, i'm used to people. I'm in band, i'm supposed to work together with people."

Nozomi made an O-shape with her mouth as she nodded understandingly. "Right, right, forgot. But still, doesn't explain," she paused to gesture to the empty cafe, "all this."

"Today was too noisy. I need some peace and quiet too, you know. _Especially_ with the way Nico was screeching when Rin and Honoka nearly set the entire building on fire for the third time."

Nozomi laughed, the sound filling the empty space with its song. "Man, I wish I was there to see that."

"I don't think that would be a good wish."

Nozomi's laugh was louder this time. "Oh, you _really_ sound like Elicchi during our high-school days."

An indignant blush crept across Maki's cheeks and she looked off to the side before looking back at Nozomi. The woman's emerald-green eyes held all the amusement in the universe, but underneath all that, Maki caught the sight of nostalgia. There was no doubt that Nozomi was secretly remembering memories about Eli.

Speaking of Eli….

Maki chewed on her tongue gently, unsure if she should voice the question filling her mouth. Apparently, her inner struggle showed on her face and Nozomi gave her a knowing expression.

"You can ask me anything, you know."

Maki made a little noise in her throat and looked away. "W-who said that I wanted to—"

"No matter how much you lie, the truth's always written on your face."

Another noise slipped past Maki's lips. "Well, uh…you see…."

"You can just say it, Maki-chan." Hints of humor tainted Nozomi's tone.

"…Are you and Eli together?"

Nozomi didn't blink nor hesitate in her answer. "Yeah, is it obvious?"

"K-kinda."

"Do same-sex relationships make you uncomfortable?"

"W-well, no," Maki stammered, reaching up to grasp the tips of her hair to search for split ends. "I w-was just—"

"Are you gay?"

Maki froze, her words turning to ice and plummeting down to her gut.

"With the way you look, wide-eyed and all, I'm guessing I hit the nail on the head?"

Maki's first instinct was to lie, to deny it, to do anything _but_ admit it, but she knew full-well that her attempts would be futile—Nozomi would just expose her like always.

"Yeah," Maki finally admitted after a long pause, "i am."

Nozomi hummed and nodded, her face unexpectedly serious. Maki was surprised—she would have thought that the woman would have broken into a grin by now.

"Are you closeted?" Nozomi asked, her expression remaining unsettlingly stoic.

The redhead fidgeted in her seat, trying to channel most of her focus into finding split ends. "Y-yeah, what of it?" Maki cleared her throat once she heard the tremble in her voice. She needed to be apathetic and impassive. This was nothing more than a mere conversation with Nozomi, after all. Just a normal, regular, conver—

"Ever kissed a girl?"

Maki's face flushed red as she whipped her head up. _Now_ Nozomi was smiling that _god-forsaken_ smile of hers, her green eyes glimmering mischievously in the light. It was _so_ obvious that the woman was, metaphorically, getting a kick out of this, and Maki wanted nothing more than to _literally_ kick her.

"W-w-what?!" Maki's voice came out as a squeal.

"Guessing you haven't?"

"I-I m-mean, i-it's not a priority, s-so…."

Nozomi nodded, her smile never wavering. "Understandable. Knowing you, you're probably too busy to be thinking of romance, huh?"

Maki felt her face burn, her cheeks reddening to a dark maroon. "S-something like that," she mumbled, lying through her teeth.

Nozomi's smile quickly faded, her expression hardening into seriousness once again. "Have you ever spoken to anyone about your sexuality?"

"W-well," Maki cleared her throat, unsure on how to handle the sudden change of atmosphere, "n-not really."

The woman hummed and nodded before breaking into a gentle smile. In a way, it was an unfamiliar sight to Maki; the redhead was used to a teasing grin.

"I see," Nozomi finally said as she leaned back in her seat.

"…Why?"

"Why what?"

"…Why'd you ask all those questions?"

Nozomi shrugged, and her smile grew just a little bit bigger. "Just wanted to build conversation, get to know you a little bit better, things like that."

Maki's only response was a thoughtful noise she made in the back of her throat. Nozomi's answer was _reasonable_ to say the least.

"And I know how hard it is to come to terms with something like your sexuality. Especially if you don't have anyone to talk to about it." The woman's smile turned sympathetic, and Maki felt herself relax. There was something about Nozomi that was rather…comforting, up to the point where Maki almost wanted to spill everything to her. Almost.

"It's no big deal," Maki muttered, shrugging.

"Mm, you think so?" Nozomi asked, tilting her head to the side. Her small smile was even smaller now and there was a patient glow in her eyes, as if she were a teacher waiting for her student to fess up.

And as much as she wanted to, Maki tensed up. Her pride raised up her defenses and she looked away, her hand reaching up to twiddle with the ends of her hair once again. "Yeah," she began, her voice much quieter than she expected, "I do think so."

But in reality, she _did_ think it was a big deal. The conversation she just had was a breakthrough for her, up to the point she dared describe it as revolutionary. Up until now, Maki was positive that there was no one in her life who understood what it was like to be gay, let alone be inside the closet. And to be able to have the opportunity to actually _talk_ about her feelings free from judgement? The very thought was almost enough to get Maki to cry.

She wondered how a younger her would react to a situation like this. It would have most likely involved gross sobbing, if she had to guess.

The image was enough to coax the smallest of smiles out of her.

"What's so funny?" Nozomi asked. Maki took a quick glance in the woman's direction to see Nozomi's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Nothing," Maki said, shaking her head and forcing two words down her throat. When it came too much to bear, she decided to go with, "It's nothing."

She cursed herself and her damned pride.

"Thank you," would have been a better choice.

-X-

Umi's voice was what broke the silence that settled over the group.

"Oh, there you two are," she said. The others turned to their heads to see a closed-eyed smiling Nozomi walking into the room, Maki following right behind her.

"Sorry," Nozomi began as she opened her eyes, "a little critter decided to sneak out when we weren't looking." She looked over her shoulder to send a coy glance at Maki, who was much too busy staring at the dusty corner to avoid her gaze.

"Well, while you were busy chasing Princess over there," Nico crossed her arms and sent a disapproving look their way, "we were having a rather important discussion."

Nozomi blinked several times. "Were you?"

Eli nodded and sighed at the same time. "We were discussing the—"

"Upcoming Market District Festival!" It was Hanayo and Honoka who spoke, eagerly cutting off Eli in the middle of her sentence.

"Already that time of year?" Nozomi asked.

Eli nodded, leaning back in her seat. "I know we're not particularly active during the Festival, but with how our team has grown, I feel like this would be a good way to get Muse back into the scene."

"Yeah!" Honoka exclaimed, nodding vigorously. "We'll definitely get publicity!"

"Wait." It was Maki who spoke, looking at the group confusedly. "What _exactly_ is the Market District Festival?"

Nico made a little noise in her throat, one between a scoff and a grunt. " _Well,_ if you were here _earlier—_ ow!" Nico stopped and rubbed her face, on the spot where Nozomi flicked her. Eli watched the whole affair with an air of amusement before picking up where Nico left off.

"The Market District Festival is an annual festival where everyone in the market district," Eli paused to gesture to the general direction of the other shops, "comes out and holds a festival to promote their business and unite the community. Something like that."

"So," Maki began slowly, "it's like a cultural festival?"

"If you wanna put it that way, yeah. We set up booths to show off samples, since we're a food business, and if people like what they taste, then they'll buy."

Maki hummed, looking off to the side thoughtfully. "Makes sense," she finally decided to say.

"You bet it makes sense!" Honoka piped in. Her bright blue eyes almost blinded Eli when the blonde looked over at her. "We should _totally_ do it! It'll show that Muse is still here!"

"Yeah!" This time it was Hanayo who spoke up. With the way her voice squeaked, Eli could tell that she was trying her hardest to contain her excitement. "It'll be a great way to show off our new menu!"

The blonde felt herself smile; it was hard to believe that the bespectacled girl ready to climb over the table in excitement was the same girl who was excruciatingly timid only an hour ago.

"Uh-huh!" Rin joined in, her excitement mirroring the other two. "We can also show off how much we've grown too! You nyow, like zero to a hundred!"

"Wait," Umi held up her hand, a worried expression plastered on her face. "What if this all fails?"

The joviality living in the air dropped dead.

Nico was the one who broke the silence before it could suffocate all of them. "Wow, way to kill the mood, kid."

Nozomi promptly reached over to flick Nico to shut her up.

"Continue," Eli said, nodding in Umi's direction.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I do believe that this will give Muse a rise in popularity _if it succeeds_. I'm just wondering if, well, what happens if it doesn't?"

Light coughing captured Eli's attention, and the blonde looked over at Maki.

"I was kind of wondering about that too," the redhead began, her placid mask breaking into one that Eli dared to call concern. "If we fail, what are the consequences? Isn't a just a loss of money, supplies, and time? I mean, before Honoka started advertising, i've never even _heard_ of Muse before, let alone decide to check it out. If anything, if we do decide to participate in the Festival, we have to take into consideration that people might not even _want_ to come over to us just because we aren't as popular as, say, A-RISE."

An uneasy silence hung over their heads like the weight of an elephant. During this time, Eli looked at the faces surrounding her. Umi looked unaffected, but Eli caught the somberness in her eyes—perhaps she didn't expect anyone to have the gall to voice what was on her mind. Next to her sat Kotori, who looked much more concerned about the wellbeing of an unexpectedly serious Honoka rather than the situation at hand. The orange-haired girl was looking at the table in front of her, her blue eyes narrowed in concentration; there was no doubt that she was thinking about ways to refute Maki's points. Nico and Nozomi were looking off to the side, their faces blank and unreadable. Hanayo and Rin, on the other hand were much more effusive: worry was etched on their faces as they glanced at one another for a split second before looking around, as if the answer to the problem was lurking in a nook or a cranny.

When the silence lingered for a moment too long, Eli broke it by clearing her throat. "Well, since no one has anything else to say—"

Honoka slapped her hand on to top of the table, standing from her chair with almost enough force to topple it over. "Wait!" She turned to Eli, a fire burning in her blue eyes. In a way, the blonde widened her eyes in surprise; she never knew that Honoka was capable of such an expression.

"Is this cafe important to you?"

Eli had to blink. While the answer to the question was obviously yes, Honoka's bluntness threw off Eli much more than it should have. However, she managed to gather herself and she once again cleared her throat once more. "Of—"

"Of course it is," interjected Nozomi and Nico in unison. Eli didn't have to look over at them to know that they were getting riled up—the edge in their voice was very evident.

"Then," Honoka turned to the other two women, "aren't you supposed to _fight_ for something that's important to you? Aren't you supposed to be willing to do _anything_ to make sure this place succeeds?"

"Honkers, that's what we've been trying to do for several years," Nico said.

" _Exactly!_ So what better way than to do it during the _Festival?_ You guys said that you haven't been active, so wouldn't it be a great place to have a comeback?"

Slight creaking filled the air as Kotori shifted in her seat, unsure. "But, Honoka-chan, Maki-chan said—"

" _So what!"_ Honoka shook her head, letting out a huff of air that was a mix between a laugh and a scoff. "If we show the people that Muse is something worth all the promotion it's getting, then they'll come! But a big part of that is to have _all_ of us believe that too! Yeah, Muse has been in the red for a long time. Yeah, Muse has fallen from its glory days. But we can pick it all up! We can make something _happen._ We can _change_ Muse. We've already done so much like plan out a new menu and new uniforms, so why stop there? If we don't do the Festival, what good were all those changes? Nothing! That's why we gotta do it!" Honoka's fervor simmered down considerably as all the tension in her body left her, the fire in her eyes in the process of being snuffed out. "Call me crazy, but I already love this place. There's so much… _potential_ for it to succeed, and I would absolutely _hate_ for Muse to die out now. There's so much we can do. Why not take it?"

A heaviness weighed around the room, but before it had time to settle, Hanayo stood up as well.

"I…I agree with Honoka-chan," she declared, her purple eyes glimmering with a rising passion. "I've heard of so many stories of how great Muse was back then, and I would love nothing more than to help it grow. We might make it even better than ever!"

"Yeah!" Rin said, jumping to her feet. "We gotta make Muse nyalright again!"

Kotori slowly rose from her seat, a small smile on her face. "Well, if the both of you put it that way…."

Umi shook her head, but Eli caught the sight of a smile. "You're too much of a handful sometimes, Honoka."

In the background, Eli heard Maki say, "If we're really doing this, don't make it a mistake…."

Eli could feel the air around them beginning to lighten with their heightening spirits. For some reason, she felt the slightest need to cry, her throat tying itself into knots—if these kids were to be the future of Muse, then she couldn't have asked for a better team.

Finally, Eli looked over and caught Nico's and Nozomi's gaze. Their bright, beaming faces was all Eli needed to see.

"Let's do it, then," she declared.

The raucous cheering that exploded in the room warmed Eli's chest.

-X-

"Remind me again why I'm driving you two to your apartment."

"Because Elichi crashed our car."

"Hey! I didn't _crash_ the car. I just—"

"Put a super huge dent on the side?"

"Shut up, Nico."

Nozomi laughed and entered the backseat of Nico's car. An odd smell hit her nose, and she crinkled her nose. Eli, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and gave Nozomi a look between bemusement and disgust.

"Hey, Nico?" Eli looked over at the driver's seat when Nico entered the car.

"Yeah?"

"Why does it smell like…peanuts and milk?"

From where she sat, Nozomi saw Nico tense up as she started the car. The roaring engine almost drowned out her answer.

"Don't worry about it," the black-haired woman mumbled.

As they began their ride, the chaos of the day began to take its toll. She leaned her head against the window of the car door, her breathing slowing as she struggled to keep her eyelids open. She was about to give into sleep when something caught her attention from the front. Nozomi sat up and looked at the rear view mirror, where she saw something green attached to it.

The third-year ribbon from Otonokizaka's high school uniform swayed lazily as the car rumbled about.

"You _still_ have that thing?" Nozomi asked with a chuckle. Eli, who was close to dozing off as well, let out a tired laugh.

"Well _that's_ a blast from the past," the blonde said with a yawn. Hidden in her tone, however, Nozomi heard the slightest implication of a smile.

Nico, on the other hand, let out a grunt. "Shuddup."

"You know," Nozomi smirked as she gave a sly look in Nico's direction, "I never knew that Nicocchi was so sentimental."

"What'd I tell you before?"

Eli laughed, sounding much more awake now. "Who would have thought that someone like Nico had the capability."

Surprisingly, Nico was the one that laughed this time. "I could say the same thing about you! You still have that ace of hearts Nozomi gave you during our first year."

Nozomi saw the tips of Eli's ears turn a bright red. "You do?" Nozomi asked, leaning forward in an attempt to be closer to Eli. The blonde moved away to avoid her lover.

"M-maybe," Eli stuttered.

Nico scoffed. "'Maybe?' You keep that thing in your phone case!"

Nozomi laughed while shaking her head, taking some form of twisted enjoyment from her lover's expense. "How old is that thing anyways?"

"Around four or five years," Eli admitted quietly.

"It was sometime after we all met, huh?" Nozomi pointed out.

Nico nodded as she turned a corner to enter into a familiar neighborhood. Nozomi could tell that they would approach their destination soon enough.

"Did we all meet in our first-year?" Eli asked.

"Yeah," Nico answered, "somewhere in the middle of it."

"And we would all go to Muse together after school, too."

Nozomi sighed, a blissful smile creeping onto her face. A fuzzy sensation was building up in her chest as she basked in the nostalgia only memories could give her. "Back when Muse was doing just fine, too."

"Yeah," Eli breathed out. Quietness soon followed, and for a long while, nothing was said as they all listened to the car rumbling along. They drove past a group of girls clad their school uniform walking home. Such a sight reminded Nozomi of an interesting observation she forgot she made.

"You know," she began, "all the newbies go to Otonokizaka."

Eli hummed a bit before replying. "Honoka told me that she was advertising Muse at her school."

"But we also went to Otonokizaka."

"…And?"

"Don't you feel like it's some sort of…coincidence?"

Nico gave a scoff. "You know, Tits, some things are just a coincidence."

"Maybe…." Nozomi said as Nico pulled over in front of a familiar apartment complex. The sound of Eli unbuckling her seatbelt filled the car and Nozomi followed suit after a moment's hesitation.

Before Eli got out, however, she paused and turned her head to look over at the two of them. "But whether or not it's a coincidence, they're going to do big things."

Nozomi's heart melted when she caught Nico's slight smile and the tenderness in Eli's eyes.

"You've gotten really soft," Nico said as she shook her head. Her smile grew wider all the while.

Nozomi let out a huff of amusement. "With a place like Muse, how can we not?"

-X-

"I'm home!" Kotori called out, kicking off her shoes. From the kitchen, she heard a muffled voice coming from the dining room and padded her way over. She saw her mother, cell phone wedged between her cheek and shoulder, sitting at the table with papers strewn everywhere.

"No, no. I _told_ you, this deal needs to—oh, hi. Dinner's in the fridge as usual. What? No, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Kotori. Okay, look. This deal isn't going to go _anywhere,_ and I need a moment to recollect my thoughts. I'll come back to you later tonight, okay? Okay. Thanks." Kotori's mom ended the phone call and tossed her cell onto the table with a long groan.

Kotori offered a sympathetic smile. "Work?"

"Always," her mother breathed out. She ran a hand through her wing-shaped fringe, shaking her head. "How was your day?"

"Alright," Kotori said as she opened the fridge. Her humble dinner of tonkatsu and rice sat in front of her, sealed in tupperware. She reached out for it as she continued. "Just some kitchen training. Went a little better than I expected."

Her mom tried to let out an interested hum, but it sounded more tired than anything. "That's great," she muttered, trying to stifle a yawn. Suddenly her phone vibrated, startling the both of them. As Kotori placed her dinner in the microwave, she saw her mother consider ignoring the call until deciding to answer it.

"Hello? Ah—yeah, she's here." Kotori's mother held out her phone. "Your dad," she said as the gray-haired girl took it.

"Hello?"

" _Kotori! It's been a long time since I've last heard your voice."_

Kotori laughed, leaning against the sink. "It's been even longer since you've seen me, though."

A sigh crackled like static in her ear. _"You know how it is at work."_

"Mm, I know. It's just…been a long time since we've been together," she said. The last time, that Kotori remembered, was during her first-year in highschool, near the holidays. It had been a wonderful time being able to spend time with both her parents…while it lasted. Unfortunately, her father had to go abroad once more in on emergency business, successfully cutting their time short together.

Sometimes, Kotori wondered why both her parents had to be businesspeople.

" _How's your internship?"_

Kotori chewed the inside of her lip. She forgot to tell him all that had happened.

" _Kotori?"_

"I…quit my internship."

There was a brief moment of silence. _"Really?"_

"Yeah," she muttered.

" _Why? Was it too much to handle with schoolwork?"_

"Well…not necessarily."

" _Then why'd you quit?"_

"I wanted to help Honoka-chan save a cafe."

Another sigh sounded through the receiver. _"Kotori, you_ know _how well it went the last time, with Honoka's shop."_

"Yeah, but now there's more of us! And—and I feel we can really do something now! It's not going to end up like Honoka's shop," Kotori declared, more confidence seeping into her words as she spoke. "I think we're going to be fine, Dad."

"… _Well, if that's what you think, who am I to stop you?"_ He chuckled. _"Is Umi joining you two?"_

Kotori found it in herself to smile. "Yeah, she is."

His laugh was louder this time. _"You know, you three always did everything together. You're practically inseparable."_

"I can't help it," Kotori said sentimentally. "Those two are very important to me."

-X-

A knock on her door made Honoka look up from her book. She saw her mother standing under the doorway, leaning against it. Honoka caught the faint smell of melted sugar that always clung onto her mom and relaxed somewhat; there was a certain kind of solace only a mother could bring.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Her mother asked with a smile.

Honoka shook her head. "Just reading."

"Oh I see—wait, what?" The woman stopped and blinked, bewilderment written all over her face.

"What, what?"

"You're… _reading?"_

Honoka blinked. "Yeah. Is that weird?"

"Honoka, you _hate_ studying."

"Oh!" Honoka laughed and showed her mother the cover of her book.

" _How to Excel at Cooking…_?"

Honoka nodded, making sure to fold a corner of the page she left off on before closing it. "Muse is going to be participating in the Market District Festival this year, and we gotta make a really good impression! So I'm going to read up and study so that I can do my best to improve so we can get as many people as we can."

Honoka's mother looked at her with a gentle smile. Her tender teal eyes glimmered in the light as she reached out to stroke Honoka's hair. The girl felt unexpected tension leave her shoulders, melting under the touch, finding solace a mother could provide.

"Studies are important," her mother quietly reminded, never stopping her ministration.

"I know, but," Honoka looked away to stare out the window, "this is something important to me, too," she muttered, taking note of the sky. It was a clear night, the moon in clear view. Part of it was hidden away in darkness, and Honoka knew that if her father was still alive, he would have taken her and Yukiho out for a walk.

Honoka's mom said nothing, but she stopped stroking her daughter's hair. "Your father would have been so proud of you, for everything that you've done and will do."

Suddenly, Honoka felt very mellow. "Yeah, I guess…."

"…You're still not over the shop, are you?"

Honoka shook her head no. Why wouldn't she be? Her father, a tall rugged man on the outside but a loving sentimental father in the inside, had put everything into opening a sweets shop, and managed to open one when she was six. Everything was going well—in fact, it went more than well. The shop was an absolute success: customers flocked to the shop, profit was exceptional, and there was never a day that went by without some form of excitement. In fact, it was during that time that Honoka met Kotori and, later on, Umi. A young Honoka had the naïvety to believe that such bliss would be eternal.

But everything changed when her father collapsed.

She never knew what caused the heart attack. She recalled the doctors saying something that the cause may have been stress, but she didn't care about the details.

The only thing she cared about was her father was gone.

"I still wish I could have saved it," Honoka admitted quietly. Images of her attempts at reviving the shop after her father's death flashed through her mind, but they all led to the same dismal picture of the shop closing down.

Honoka's mother shook her head and gently forced her daughter to look at her. "You did your best, and that's what counts."

Honoka said nothing for a while, opting to stare into her mom's eyes. In them, she identified tenderness and somberness, but above all that, she saw an unbridled amount of love shining through. "But—"

"No matter what you do," her mother interjected softly, "always do your best. Things may not always go your way, whether you expected it or not, but at least you can raise your head up high and say, 'At least i tried.' And you'll be fine, no matter what the outcome is."

"I know," Honoka mumbled. The familiar burn of tears began to sting the back of Honoka's eyes, and she had to blink quickly to hold them back. She let out a sigh then followed it with a laugh before she leaned in to embrace her mom. The smell of melted sugar encompassed her like a blanket as she felt arms wrap around her. Honoka just had to smile.

She was going to be fine.


	9. Caring for Idiots

To put it simply, Rin hated Math. No, hate was too light; she _loathed_ Math with all her being. Just _knowing_ she was going to have math in the morning was enough to give her a migraine. She wondered why the gods of education cursed her with having Math for first period. They could have given her anything else, and she wouldn't have minded. Physical Education? _God yes._ English? Absolutely fine. Language? That was okay too. History? Tolerable. Science? Not preferable, but still alright.

But _Math?_ That was just cruel.

But Rin was an optimist, and always liked to look at the brighter side of things—if she could find any.

She sighed audibly, drawing it out until all the air was expelled from her lungs, as she glumly looked at the clock. About another minute and a half until class began. Rin sighed again, preparing herself for a very, _very,_ long hour.

The sound of someone settling into a desk caught her attention. She turned around, and gasped when she saw who it was.

"Maki-chan?" She asked.

Maki, who was taking out her notebooks, stopped what she was doing and turned to Rin.

"Hello," she replied. She sounded as if she wanted the conversation to end right there.

"I didn't nyow you were in my class," Rin said as she sat up from her slumped position, eyes brightening.

"That's because I sat across the room."

"Oh, right. Seat change. But even then, I didn't hear your name during roll call!"

"Because you're always _asleep_ during roll call."

Rin laughed. "It's kind of hard nyot to. I mean, dealing with numbers in the morning? The thought just makes me wanna go home!"

"Mm," Maki hummed as she took out the last of her supplies from her bag.

"…Hey, Maki-chan?"

"Yes?" Maki didn't even spare her a glance as she flipped open her textbook to the page written on the board.

"What do you—"

"Alright, settle down. Class is starting!" The teacher, a portly man with a booming voice, waddled to the front and plopped himself into the swivel chair waiting for him. "I won't be checking the homework today, but I assumed that _all_ of you did it," he paused to glance at Rin, who shrunk under his gaze "…hopefully. But onto today's lesson…"

Once Rin saw him heave himself from his seat and begin writing on the board, she began to bounce her knee uncontrollably underneath her desk. She stared at the clock, then at the board, then at her notebook, then at the clock again. She twirled her pencil between her fingers. She tapped her desk with her other hand. Her entire being was a maelstrom of impatience and activity, and nothing could calm her down. Not even the teacher himself—

"Hoshizora," he boomed as he continued to work on his wall of text.

Okay, maybe the teacher _could_ stop her.

Rin sighed as she stilled. With anticipation, she looked up at the clock to see how many minutes of class passed.

Six.

Rin bit back the groan building in her throat as her head fell to the desk with a light _thud._ She couldn't wait for class to end. Maybe she could ask to be excused to the bathroom and wander around school. No, that was a bad idea. For one, it was too early for the teacher to excuse anyone to go to the bathroom—he had a policy for students to wait ten minutes before going (which Rin thought was a _dumb_ rule because what if something… _unexpected_ happened?). And two, he would know Rin's intentions anyways; she had been caught more time than she would have liked by the teachers roaming around campus.

This time, Rin allowed herself to groan quietly. Math _really_ was a curse.

Well, no matter. It was time to go with Plan B: take a nap. Rin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The tension in her body fled as she relaxed, and she let out a blissful sigh. Fatigue began to wrap itself around her, blanketing her in its warmth as she listened to the white noise of students working, the clock ticking, and the teacher rambling on about right triangles.

And it was working. Until she felt a sharp poke in her side that made her jump up with a yelp. Her face turned bright red when the surrounding students turned around to give a look. After giving them a sheepish smile and gesturing at them to pay attention to the lecture, she whipped her head around to give Maki a sour look.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows together in confusion.

Maki gave her a sharp "Sh!" as she took her notes, not even sparing Rin a glance. "You're too loud," she added much more quietly.

"That doesn't answer my question, though," Rin whispered, glancing at the board to see how far along the teacher was getting. He covered more than half the board with numbers and he was _still_ going. Rin looked away before she could pass out.

"Because I think you should _wake up and take notes,"_ Maki hissed between her teeth as she finally stopped writing to give Rin a look. Maki wasn't as effusive as Hanayo, but underneath the hard amethyst of her eyes, Rin caught something that she dared to call concern.

"Maki-chan," Rin slowly began, "are you…worried about me?"

"N-no!" Maki whispered furiously, her reddening cheeks betraying her. "I-I'm just—I just don't want you to get yelled at, is all."

A small grin came across Rin's face. "So you _are_ worried about me!"

"D-don't get the wrong idea!" Maki began. "I just want to save you from being humiliated in front of the entire class so that I can _save myself_ the second-hand embarrassment of watching _you_ getting chewed out, _especially_ since I'm sitting right next to you! Look!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Rin's blank notebook. "You didn't even write down the first page of notes! Have you been writing anything _at all?"_

Rin had the audacity to scratch the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. "O-oh, uh…nyot really…."

Maki looked appalled. "Oh my God. What—what's your grade in this class?"

Rin looked to the side, jutting out her lip as she thought. "Nyot passing. But that's because I don't understand Math in general."

"Guess it can't be helped," Maki said with a sigh as she began writing down notes again. "I _suppose_ I can tutor you during lunch or something."

Rin perked up. Did…did she hear Maki correctly? "Tutor me?" Rin asked, unable to stop herself from smiling.

"Yes, tutor," Maki muttered indignantly as a red smear colored her cheeks. "Got a problem with that?"

"Nope! It's nyalright with me!" Rin grinned. "I didn't nyow that you were capable of caring for people, Maki-chan."

"I—wha—I _don't_ care," Maki hissed. She sent a withering glare in Rin's direction but the exuberant girl was unperturbed. "It would be bad for you to have bad grades because you wouldn't be able to _work,_ and Eli said we needed all the hands we need for the Festival."

"That basically means that you care, Maki-chan."

"W-what's with you?"

"Nishikino! Hoshizora! Pipe down back there!" The teacher boomed from the front.

The both of them gave a very quiet "Yes." They gave each other one last glance before working again—or in Rin's case, _beginning_ her work.

But as she scribbled incomprehensible notes, Rin felt herself smile.

Now that she knew Maki was here with her, having Math in the morning wouldn't be so bad after all.

-X-

"Ah, Umi-chan! You're here!"

Umi gave Honoka a tired smile as she settled into her seat.

"Good morning, Honoka," she muttered tiredly. She took out her supplies significantly slower than usual, and Honoka seemed to notice.

"What's wrong?" Honoka asked, concern tainting her tone. Umi looked up to take a glance at Honoka and saw her eyebrows coming together. Umi felt a smile pulling on her lips—Honoka looked like a puppy. An adorable one, at that.

"Just—" she was cut off by an unexpected, and rather loud, yawn, "—excuse me—stayed up finishing my work, is all."

"You're not working yourself too hard, are you?" Umi gave Honoka a look between light surprise and amusement. Honoka was hard-headed and stubborn when it came to her objectives, but was overly-compassionate and worried when it came to her friends.

"No, I'm not, it's just—overwhelming, I suppose, trying to balance school, archery, and Muse. But I'll get used to it, don't worry." She added the last part quickly when she saw Honoka deflate with dejection.

"You know," Honoka began as she quirked her lips into a small smile, "if it's too much, you can always quit Muse."

Umi blinked. "I can handle it," she said slowly, cautiously. More words tickled the tip of her tongue but she forced them to stay in her mouth

"But I don't want you to quit something you love, you know?" The exuberant sparkle that usually lived in Honoka's eyes dimmed, and Umi felt a sudden chill run down her spine at the sudden sight. "I…don't want you to go sacrifice something important to you. Like…what Kotori-chan did, you know?"

Umi studied Honoka. For the first time in a long while, Umi wasn't able to read her like a book. Honoka was usually so effusive, constantly wearing her heart on her sleeve., Umi would be lying if she said seeing Honoka like this didn't unnerve her. She was a big worry-wart (Honoka's words, not hers), after all, _especially_ when it came to a certain girl.

"You don't feel guilty about Kotori quitting still, do you?"

There was a beat of hesitation before Honoka replied. "Guilt's kind of a strong word. It's more like I feel responsible for it, you know?"

"Honoka, that's basically the same thing."

"I'm failing English for a reason," Honoka said with a growing grin.

Umi shook her head. "You know you don't have to feel—"

"Guilty about it, I know, I know. I've had this conversation with Eli-chan."

Umi frowned. "Then why do you still feel guilty about it?"

Honoka hummed, swaying in her seat back and forth as she thought. "I'm not sure. It's like how you keep worrying even though Kotori-chan and I tell you it's going to be fine."

"I-I m-mean I guess," Umi indignantly sputtered out, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she looked away; she couldn't believe that Honoka _actually_ got her.

"Hey, Umi-chan?"

"Mm?" Umi turned to Honoka, who was wearing the tiniest of smiles.

"I'm really glad I have you and Kotori-chan around."

Umi turned even redder as a shy smile tugged on her lips. "You only say these kinds of things if you want something."

Honoka shook her head, her smile growing. "I'm being serious. You guys helped me with the candy shop, and when that didn't work, you stuck beside me to pick me back up. Even now with Muse, you're still here supporting me." She chuckled. "I really don't deserve the both of you, you know?"

Umi let out an amused sigh through her nose. "You say the weirdest things at the weirdest times."

"Maybe it's because I really love the both of you."

"You want me to buy you lunch again, don't you?"

Honoka's smile turned sheepish. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Umi chuckled and shook her head no. "It's fine. I do it because I love you, too."

Honoka's eyes suddenly widened, her grin growing larger and larger. "Umi-chan, you just—"

"D-don't get used to it!"

-X-

"Koizumi-san, you're late."

Hanayo shut the door behind her, and offered the teacher a weak smile. She pushed up her falling glasses and mumbled a quick, "sorry" under her breath as she scurried to her desk, which was, luckily, right next to the door. With nervous energy, she took out her supplies as fast as she could. Now she needed to copy down the notes that the teacher was—

Hanayo froze.

Her pencil was gone.

Her _only_ pencil was gone.

She frowned to herself as she sighed, rummaging through bag to find a pen. Suddenly, something clattered on her desk and she looked over to find a rather colorful pencil with a tiny Santa figurine as the eraser cap. Hanayo smiled; it was cute.

She turned to her right, ready to say her thanks, but her words died when she saw who it was.

Maki was trying her hardest to avoid Hanayo's stare. Hanayo ripped off a corner of her paper and scribbled a quick note on it, before scrunching it up with her fingers and flicking it in Maki's direction.

_Thank you,_ it said.

Hanayo heard Maki exhale amusedly before the note came flying back.

_Don't worry about it_

Hanayo felt herself smile as she flipped the tiny scrap of paper over.

_I never would have expected you to own a pencil like this,_ she wrote.

She flicked the note over once again and began writing down what was on the board until she heard Maki make an indignant noise. Hanayo stopped writing and looked over to see a red-faced Maki giving her an annoyed glare. Hurriedly, Maki jotted down another quick response before sending the piece of paper flying.

_It was a gift_

_From?_

_Santa, obviously_

_What_

_What?_

_Santa?_

_Yeah…? Problem?_

_He doesn't exist, Maki-chan_

_He does so!_

Before they knew it, their makeshift correspondence began to take up a majority of the period. In between taking notes, they exchanged simple messages, and one of them would always react in a way that made the other amused. Hanayo would let out a stifled snort, to which Maki would respond with a soft chuckle. Maki would let out a muffled grunt, to which Hanayo would respond with a quiet giggle.

It would have gone on until the end of class if the teacher hadn't cleared her throat.

"Be sure to go over the last three chapters of the book," she drawled, her voice raspy and tired. "We'll be having a test in the next week or so. Be prepared. Remember, the test is easy—"

"—If you know the answers," the class finished.

The teacher gave a weary smile and nodded. The class erupted with noise as students began stuffing their notebooks into their bags, preparing for the next class.

Hanayo was no exception until light coughing caught her attention. She turned to see Maki staring at her with a slight frown.

"The pencil," she said.

Hanayo blinked.

"Do you still need it?" Maki elaborated, giving said pencil a glance, as if she wanted to swipe it away from peering eyes.

"Oh, uh," Hanayo offered a quiet titter, "I do since I lost my only pencil, but it seems important to you, so I'll just give it back to you. I'll just borrow someone else's."

Maki's frown deepened. "If you need it, then just use it."

"But it's important to you so—"

"Yeah, but you need it more than me, so use it."

"…Wow."

"W-what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Hanayo couldn't stop her growing grin. "I thought Rin-chan was lying when she said you're the type of person to look out after others."

That seemed to hit a nerve inside Maki, and she bristled.

"W-what's with you?" She stammered.

Hanayo laughed. "Rin-chan told me what you said to her in Math."

The way Maki's cheeks flushed red was cute, Hanayo had to admit. "D-did she?"

"It's why I was late," Hanayo said with a laugh. "She kept telling me all about it and we didn't hear the bell."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"But you know, Maki-chan, Rin-chan really appreciates it." Hanayo offered the redhead a gentle smile as she adjusted her glasses. "She has a hard time in that class and I'm no good when it comes to teaching."

Maki's small frown deepened. "How come she can't go to tutoring?"

"Oh, uh," Hanayo gave a shaky titter, "it's a long story."

-X-

Nico wanted to scream at whoever invented textbooks for culinary.

"Absolute _bullcrap_ ," she mumbled to herself as she jotted down notes on how to handle a knife. "Why in the _world_ would _anyone_ hold a knife by the _blade_?"

Eli didn't look up from her own work. "Some people just need to have things spelled out for them."

"They're dumb. Why're they in the kitchen in the first place?"

"Good question."

"Smart-ass."

Eli gave Nico the faintest of smirks. "Your influence."

Nico shook her head, a smile of her own growing. "Gotta learn from the best, eh?"

"If you say so."

Nico sighed, capping her pen before leaning back into her chair. "It's quiet," she noted.

"We're in a library."

Nico sent a glare in Eli's direction. "Wow, _really?_ "

"Really."

"No, but look." Nico took time to take in the sight of the library, and Eli did the same. Posters advocating studying and scholarships were plastered on the sides of bookshelves. Books sat undisturbed on carts and shelves, collecting dust. But what disturbed Nico the most was the lack of people. Usually their university's library would be teeming with students and faculty alike, but none of the like were present. Even the librarian was nowhere to be found.

To say the least, it was unsettling.

"Kind of weird to see no one here," Eli said, sounding distant.

"Maybe it's 'cause we're used to being 'round people nowadays."

Eli gave a breathy laugh of amusement. "Who knew I would one day hear those words come out your mouth."

Nico blew a raspberry derisively. " _Excuse_ me? _I_ was the most optimistic out of the three of us back in high school."

Eli smiled with a touch of nostalgia. "You were," she muttered, the twinkle in her eyes shining. It was a strangely, Nico thought, because the last time she saw that sparkle in her eyes was during high school.

All of them had met during their high-school days. Suddenly finding company with other people aside from her own family was something that Nico found strange, but it wasn't an unwelcome change. In fact, it was something that Nico enjoyed to its fullest. All three of them spoke frequently, joked around, went out together, and always studied at Muse whenever they could. Even when Eli and Nozomi began dating, Nico never considered herself as the third-wheel—those two always made sure that Nico was included whenever they could. Those days were happy days, Nico mused.

That was until they discovered Muse was in the red.

Nico didn't remember when they got the announcement. It had to be somewhere along the line of their senior year. They had been the only ones showing up to the cafe for about a month, the customers dwindling ever so slowly. None of them wanted to admit it, but they knew that it was only a matter of time before Muse would close down. Nozomi and Eli accepted it because, after all, good things always met an end. However, Nico refused to believe it. She fought in order to keep her hopes of becoming the greatest chef for the greatest cafe alive so she that could support her family—and so that she could share with them the same amount of joy she felt every time she walked into Muse.

"Is Muse open today?" Nico asked absentmindedly.

"No. Even though we should…." Eli shook her head and sighed.

"What's the deal?"

"No one in charge for today. You and I have evening classes today, and Nozomi isn't available today because she needs to take an exam later tonight. I texted the others earlier today."

Nico sighed out of her nose. "We should probably figure out who's going to be the next in line for running Muse. All three of us are going to be transferring into universities soon, and we are _kinda_ the ones keeping Muse barely alive."

Eli pursed her lips. "I know."

"Got any idea of who it might be?"

Eli looked at Nico with the smallest of smiles. "Well, one person _does_ come to mind…."

-X-

Honoka stared at the glazed bun in her hands with a pout.

"Umi-chan, you got me red-bean again."

"Is that a problem?"

"You _know_ I'm tired of red-bean."

"Then maybe you should get your lunch yourself, hm?"

Honoka frowned as she ripped open the plastic wrapping. "You're being mean again, Umi-chan."

"Sorry, sorry."

"No you're not."

"I am."

"If you were, you wouldn't be smiling," Honoka pointed out as she sank her teeth in the bread. The tiring taste of red-bean paste filled her mouth. She sighed—the only thing that would make this better would be a nice, warm cup of vanilla macchiato from Muse.

Speaking of Muse….

"Fif youf gef the fexfs from Efwei-Chwan?" Honoka asked with a full mouth.

"You know I can't understand you."

Honoka cleared her mouth and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "I asked if you got the text from Eri-chan."

"Oh, yeah," Umi said, taking out her phone. "It said—"

"No work today, thank God!" Kotori declared, bursting through the library doors. The librarian gave her an admonishing glare. Kotori smiled sheepishly as she muttered her apologies.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up," Umi said with amusement.

"Sorry," Kotori began, taking the seat next to Honoka. "I had a conference with teacher about which college I want to attend."

"Weren't you thinking about going to a fashion school?" Umi asked.

Kotori nodded. "I am. But it may be harder to get into one since I stopped interning." Her sheepish smile came back for a split second, but it quickly melted away as she looked off to the side. Her eyes glazed over, and Honoka quickly caught on that Kotori was losing herself in her thoughts.

"You alright?" Honoka asked, poking Kotori on her cheek. Kotori's eyes grew wide, and she blinked several times.

"Nothing, just…thinking."

"About…?"

"Nothing."

But Honoka knew it wasn't nothing—nothing always meant something. She pursed her lips, debating whether or not she should continue to prod Kotori for the answer. Honoka shot a glance in Umi's direction, a silent plea on what to do. Umi imperceptibly shook her head no, and Honoka allowed the subject to die—for now.

ALl three of them fell into a silence as they concentrated on their work—or at least, Kotori and Umi did. Honoka was far too busy zoning off, eyes transfixed on an invisible spot on the floor, until a flash of red caught her attention.

"Hey, is that Maki-chan over there?" Honoka pointed out. Umi turned around to see and Kotori leaned in front of Honoka to watch Maki take a seat at the table diagonal from them.

"Oh, it is," Kotori said with a tint of awe.

"I'm surprised that she would be here out of all places," Honoka said.

Umi turned back to her with a confused look. "Where else would she be?"

"Mm…in the band room? She's a pianist, so she probably practices in her free time."

Umi slowly nodded her head, understanding. "But she really strikes me as the studious type, so I wouldn't be surprised if she came here time to time to study."

"Or maybe she just needs a quiet place to be in," Kotori piqued. "I get the vibe she doesn't really like people—"

"You three know I'm _right here,_ right?" Maki asked, sending them a cool stare and a small frown.

Honoka looked away, Kotori laughed nervously, and an embarrassed Umi turned _extremely_ red.

Honoka quickly turned to face Maki, putting on a mask of mild surprise. "Oh, Maki-chan, I didn't see you—"

"Don't play dumb."

Honoka tittered; Maki was as straight-forward as ever.

"So, what are you doing here?" Honoka asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Umi shoot her a look, but Honoka expertly ignored her.

"I was supposed to help Rin with math, and Hanayo was supposed to come too to help me out too. But," Maki took a glance at her phone and shook her head. "I have no idea where they are. There's only about fifteen minutes left for lunch, so I don't understand how we're going to get anything done."

Honoka watched with curiosity as she stared at Maki. The younger girl's eyebrows were furrowed together, wrinkles of frustration etched on her forehead as she ran a hand through her red hair. It was strange seeing the cool and collected Maki looking so flustered over a little study date, Honoka thought. It was almost as if—

"You really care about them," she said, her words slipping past her lips without her knowing.

Maki was quick to react. Her cheeks turned a shade of red that was darker than her hair, and scowled in Honoka's direction. "You're honestly the _third_ person today who said that! I don't know how many times I need to keep saying it, but—"

Honoka cut her off with a laugh. "You remind me a lot of Umi-chan, you know?"

"Really?" Maki and Umi said in unison.

"Really," Honoka confirmed. "I bet Kotori-chan can agree with me, huh?" She nudged Kotori with her elbow as a grin crawled on her face.

"Now that you mention it, they _are_ kind of alike," Kotori said with a chuckle. "Both of them are stubborn and don't like admitting things."

Both Umi and Maki sent the two of them indignant glares before looking everywhere except at them and at each other. They even crossed their arms at the same time. Kotori and Honoka shared a hearty laugh—how ironic it was to see two of the most mature people they knew acting like children.

"But, you know,"—Honoka turned to Kotori with the biggest grin she could muster—"the one thing that really makes them alike is that they really care about the people close to them."

"Oh, shut up," Umi and Maki muttered together.

-X-

**Cat (9:47PM):** Maaaaaaaaki-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan~~~~~~

Help me please :)

**Me (9:47PM):** Which problem is it?

**Cat (9:48PM):** #29

**Me (9:48PM):** …

Didnt we do this problem already

**Cat (9:48PM):** nooooooooo…

**Me (9:49PM):** Rin we literally did this problem ten minutes ago

**Cat (9:49PM):** but i still don't get it :(

**Me (9:50PM):** just scroll up!

**Cat (9:50PM):** but i'm too laaaaaaaazy

**Me (9:51PM):** i thought athletes were supposed to be

Idk

Super hyperactive?

**Cat (9:52PM):** i am!

Just not in math lol

**Me (9:52PM):** w/e you say

_**Cat added Riceball to the chat** _

**Cat (9:53PM):** ah, kayochin!

Sorry that was an accident! :(

**Riceball (9:53PM):** it's okay! Is this some kind of study session thingy? :)

**Me (9:53PM):** no

**Cat (9:53PM):** yea

wow maki-chan

why're you so mean? :'(

**Riceball (9:54PM):** cmon Rin, don't be like that

she _did_ offer to help you during lunch today…

**Me (9:54PM):** ^ exactly

Which, btw, you didn't come to

**Cat (9:55PM):** yeah i did!

**Me (9:55PM):** showing up ten minutes before lunch ends doesn't count

**Cat (9:55PM):** minor details

**Riceball (9:56PM):** I still feel bad about showing up late though :( sorry mari-chan

*maki-chan

And thank you for the pencil :)

**Me (9:57PM):** idk how many times i told you it's fine but it's fine

And you can return it to me tomorrow morning

**Riceball (9:57PM):** okay, you got it!

You know, you're so sweet Maki-chan :)

**Me (9:58PM):** w-what's with you?!

**Cat (9:58PM):** she really is, huh, kayochin?

**Me (9:58PM):** you two are

being so

_**Tits added you, Cat, and Riceball to the chat** _

**Me (9:59PM):** irritating!

**Tits (10:00PM):** *gasp*

how rude, I didn't do anything yet… :((((

**Me (10:00PM):** wait, no, that wasn't supposed to be for you nozomi

**Gremlin (10:01PM):** suuuuuuure it wasnt

**Me (10:01PM):** go away nico

**Russia (10:01PM):** Okay, okay, let's save it for later.

Nozomi, did you add the other three?

_**Tits added Bird, Ocean, and Caffeine-Head to the chat** _

**Tits (10:02PM):** now i did ;)

**Russia (10:02PM):** okay, great

**Ocean (10:02PM):** So…what exactly is this?

**Gremlin (10:03PM):** guess

**Russia (10:04PM):** It's a group chat for Muse.

**Gremlin (10:04PM):** way to ruin the fun eli

**Ocean (10:04PM):** Oh, okay.

**Russia (10:05PM):** so down to business

Sorry there was no work today

Nico and i had classes and nozomi needed to take an last-minute exam

**Caffeine-Head (10:06PM):** (Y)

**Gremlin (10:06PM):** wth is that

**Caffeine-Head (10:07PM):** its supposed to be a thumbs-up… :^(

**Bird (10:07PM):** its ok honoka-chan

**Caffeine-Head (10:07PM):** ty ily kotori-chan

And everyone else here too

Including u umi-chan ;)

**Ocean (10:07PM):** Um…thanks?

**Me (10:08PM):** can we move on

**Tits (10:08PM):** aw, is maki-chwan feeling left out? ;)

**Me (10:08PM):** never call me that again

**Gremlin (10:08PM):** OOOOOOOOH ELI YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS CHEATIN ON YOU

**Tits (10:09PM):** oh hush dont say that nicocchi

elicchi gets jealous easily even though she knows i wont be going anywhere ;)

**Russia (10:09PM):** omg did you just say that i cant believe you

**Tits (10:09PM):** i love you too, dear

**Russia (10:10PM):** okay, now _really_ moving on…

I've just gotten the word that the Market District Festival will be three months from now.

**Riceball (10:10PM):** thats kind of a lot of time…right?

**Russia (10:10PM):** It is, but remember, we have a lot to do.

Perfecting the new menu, getting the costumes done on time, preparing the…mascot.

And since we didn't meet up today, it means a day lost, unfortunately.

**Caffeine-Head (10:10PM):** well we just gotta work hard the other days then!

**Russia (10:11PM):** Exactly.

**Tits (10:11PM):** oh honoka, you should see the small smile on Eli's face rn

She's so proud of you :)

**Russia (10:11PM):** stop

**Gremlin (10:11PM):** lmao you two text even though you're in the same room?

**Russia (10:12PM):** well we have to talk to you guys too so

**Bird (10:12PM):** i think its pretty cute :)

**Riceball (10:12PM):** me too! :)

**Cat (10:12PM):** same! :3

**Tits (10:13PM):** you three should see how red elicchi is, it's adorable :)

_**Tits sent an image** _

**Caffeine-Head (10:13PM):** OMG ELI-CHAN YOURE SO CUTE

**Bird (10:14PM):** AAAAAAAAW

**Cat (10:14PM):** NYAHAHA HER FACE IS SO RED X3

**Riceball (10:14PM):** oMG!

**Gremlin (10:14PM):** LMAO YOU LOOK LIKE A TOMATO WITH HAIR

**Me (10:15PM):** SHE DOES OMG

**Ocean (10:15PM):** I guess I kind of see it…

**Russia (10:15PM):** why are all of you like this

i just wanted to explain what's happening but then this happens

What did i do to deserve this

Nozomi i trusted you

I loved you

I still do

Why have you forsaken me

**Tits (10:15PM):** oh shut up Elicchi

you're being melodramatic again

Dont worry i'll pay you back later tonight ;)

**Gremlin (10:16PM):** OMFG

O

M

F

G

BYE

**Caffeine-Head (10:16PM):**?

is it wrong that Nozomi-chan'll be paying Eli-chan back?

**Tits (10:16PM):** nope!

It's not a problem at all~ ;)

**Me (10:16PM):** please tell me that honoka actually got that and shes just joking

**Ocean (10:16PM):** Wish I could.

**Me (10:17PM):** omg

**Caffeine-Head (10:17PM):** what, is there something funny?

am i not getting the joke?

**Cat (10:17PM):** yeah, i'm nyot getting it either :(

**Riceball (10:17PM):** it's ok rin-chan you don't have to get it

**Cat (10:18PM):** do you get it, kayochin?

**Riceball (10:18PM):** uh

…

I would be lying if i said I didn't

**Gremlin (10:18PM):** wow i honestly didnt expect hanayo out of all people to understand that kinda joke

**Me (10:18PM):** same

**Tits (10:19PM):** oooooh~

Is our adorable hanayo hiding something from us?~ ;)

**Riceball (10:19PM):** n-no!

It's just common sense, i-isn't it?

**Tits (10:19PM):** it takes a certain _kind_ of common sense, that's for sure ;)

**Russia (10:19PM):** okay moving on

The owner of Muse will be dropping by to see how things are, probably tomorrow or the next day, depending on how she's feeling.

I've already told her about all the reforms we did, and although she likes the idea, she wants to see if we're willing to work extra hard and if we're going to commit.

**Ocean (10:20PM):** So…that means she's ultimately going to tell us whether or not we're viable to participate.

**Russia (10:20PM):** basically

Although we decided it amongst ourselves what we're going to do, it's ultimately her decision.

So whether or not we're fit to go, is up to her.

Since we need her signature on the paperwork and stuff.

**Cat (10:21PM):** nyaw man, sounds like a lot of work… :(

**Gremlin (10:21PM):** BC it is

**Caffeine-Head (10:21PM):** but look on the bright side!

If we manage to get through to the owner with our dedication, then she'll for sure give us the go to participate in the MDF! :)

We just gotta fight!

**Riceball (10:22PM):** yeah!

And Muse will be rising to the top once again!

**Gremlin (10:22PM):** guess you can say we'll be…A-RISEing to the top

**(10:24PM):** SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING

THAT WAS A GOOD ONE

**Me (10:24PM):** no it wasn't

**Gremlin (10:24PM):** You better be ready to catch these hands tomorrow maki BC im boutta throw em

**Me (10:25PM):**?

**Russia (10:25PM):** okay, moving on

Is that clear to everyone?

What the owner is expecting out of us and all that?

**Caffeine-Head (10:25PM):** Yep!

**Ocean (10:25PM):** Crystal clear. :)

**Cat (10:25PM):** it's going to be nyamazing! :3

**Bird (10:26PM):** gotta work extra hard on the uniforms then!

to make sure they look extra good!

**Riceball (10:26PM):** oh man, i'm so nervous and excited! :D

**Caffeine-Head (10:26PM):** LOL same hanayo-chan :)

**Me (10:27PM):** guess we're doing this then

**Tits (10:27PM):** oh maki

it's okay to admit you're _excited_ ~ ;)

**Me (10:27PM):** WHY

WHY DO YOU MAKE EVERYTHING AN INNUENDO

**Gremlin (10:27PM):** l m a o

**Russia (10:28PM):** okay, okay that's enough

Everyone, go get some rest

If my phone keeps vibrating until 11:00 tonight

Things are gonna go down tomorrow

**Tits (10:28PM):** oh elichi~

so _dirty~_ ;)

**Russia (10:28PM):** OH MY GOD

**Gremlin (10:28PM):** LMFAO YOU WALKED RIGHT INTO THAT ONE

Suddenly, Maki was left staring at a black screen, her bewildered reflection gazing back at her.

Maki blinked.

This was the first time she was so engrossed in a conversation that she forgot to plug her charger into her phone.

A small smile tugged on her lips.

"Why in the world do I care for these idiots?" Maki mumbled to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally going to copy paste what i put on FF.net, but i truly mean it from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> So today is Christmas Eve (where I'm at), and I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all of you who have stuck with me. Whether you have always been a fan of my works or just got into them, every little thing you do makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I know I'm not the best author, in fact I'm sure I'm far from it, but your continual support gives me the drive to motivate me to do better. This particular chapter has been a struggle for me to write, mainly because I've been feeling the oh-god-I-won't-be-able-to-finish-this-story-again-syndrome again. Hopefully I can stick through with this story though. I mean, it's already been...four months? And I wrote nine chapters already? Man, that's a new record for me, lol.
> 
> So thank you. All of you. It's really been a blessing to have you guys support me. I'm truly humbled by it all.
> 
> Merry Christmas to you all, and have a Happy New Year.


End file.
